PRIME MINISTER

Departmental Pay

Grant Shapps: To ask the Prime Minister how much has been spent by his Office on staff reward and recognition schemes in each of the last three years.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Secretary, Cabinet Office (Mr. Watson) today.

Departmental Responsibilities

Greg Clark: To ask the Prime Minister when he expects the Transfer of Functions Order establishing the Department for Energy and Climate Change to enter into force.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to "The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Order 2009" laid before Parliament on 12 February. Copies are available in the Libraries of the House.

Intelligence and Security Committee

Colin Challen: To ask the Prime Minister when the Intelligence and Security Committee last visited RAF Menwith Hill; with whom the Committee had discussions during that visit; and which other military bases with a United States personnel presence in the UK the Committee has visited in 2007 and 2008.

Gordon Brown: The Intelligence and Security Committee does not comment on its work programme. Where appropriate it publishes information on visits it has undertaken in its annual reports.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Gaza

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Gaza.

Gillian Merron: The political situation is undoubtedly complex. Our first priority is to ensure the Gaza population receives humanitarian aid and reconstruction materials, and so we have made available £26.8 million for the relief operation and are pressing Israel to open the crossings more fully. The Egyptian efforts to embed the ceasefire and to bridge the divide in Palestinian politics are at the heart of improving the political situation. We strongly support their efforts. I am travelling to Cairo today to discuss Gaza—as well as other issues—with Egypt.

UK-Canada Relations

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Canadian counterpart on UK-Canada relations.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary wrote to his Canadian counterpart, Lawrence Cannon, last November to congratulate him on his appointment as Foreign Minister following federal elections. This emphasised our commitment to working in effective partnership with Canada on a range of international issues, including Afghanistan and the world financial crisis. On 16 February 2009, the Foreign Secretary met with Peter MacKay, Canada's Minister of National Defence and Chair of its Cabinet Foreign Affairs Committee.

UK-India Relations

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of UK-India relations.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of UK-India relations.

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of UK relations with India; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The UK continues to enjoy a close and constructive relationship with the Indian Government and the Indian people. India is a key partner for the UK in tackling the full range of global challenges facing us today and we co-operate in promoting regional security, trade, development, culture, science and education.

UK-China Relations

Desmond Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his assessment is of the expected effects on UK-China relations of the new framework for engagement between the UK and China.

Bill Rammell: The Chinese Government have welcomed the new framework. We believe it provides a coherent basis for delivering UK interests in China and for strengthening co-operation between our two countries to address global challenges.

Sri Lanka

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to seek to ensure a long-term ceasefire in Sri Lanka.

Bill Rammell: We are extremely concerned about the situation in Sri Lanka. On 29 January 2009, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. We have made it clear to the Government of Sri Lanka that a political solution that addresses the legitimate concerns of all communities in Sri Lanka is the only way to bring a sustainable end to the conflict.

Sri Lanka

Celia Barlow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent assessment is of the political situation in Sri Lanka.

Bill Rammell: The recent military advances of the Sri Lankan Government and the subsequent humanitarian crisis make a sustained drive for a lasting political solution to the conflict all the more urgent. We have made it clear to the Government of Sri Lanka that a political solution that addresses the legitimate concerns of all communities in Sri Lanka is the only way to bring a sustainable end to the conflict.

Sri Lanka

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to seek to ensure a lasting ceasefire in Sri Lanka.

Bill Rammell: We are extremely concerned about the situation in Sri Lanka. Or 29 January, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. We have made it clear to the Government of Sri Lanka that a political solution that addresses the legitimate concerns of all communities in Sri Lanka is the only way to bring a sustainable end to the conflict.

Prohibited Individuals: Zimbabwe

Nigel Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many people associated with the Zimbabwean government are on the UK's list of individuals prohibited from entering the UK.

Gillian Merron: Two hundred and three individuals associated with the Zimbabwean Government, as constituted prior to the inauguration of Prime Minister Tsvangirai, are subject to an EU-wide travel ban and an assets freeze. This includes 27 people added to the list by the EU on 26 January 2009.

UN Counter-racism Strategies

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the international effectiveness of strategies to counter racism adopted by the United Nations and its agencies.

Gillian Merron: The Government have not made a formal assessment of the effectiveness of the strategies to counter racism adopted by the UN and its agencies. We do however believe that some of the UN's mechanisms related to combating racism are making a real contribution to that goal. In particular, we attach importance to the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and the work of its Committee. We remain concerned that some other UN processes created to address racism—notably the follow-up mechanisms of the Durban World Conference against Racism—are currently proving less effective.

Afghanistan

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of progress against the objectives of UK foreign policy in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Much has been achieved across Afghanistan since 2001, including in the south. For example, all the major towns in Helmand are now under the Government of Afghanistan's control and the insurgency has been pushed out of its traditional heartland.

Mumbai: Terrorist Attacks

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in Pakistan on steps that country could take with India to prosecute all those involved in the terrorist attacks on Mumbai.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary last discussed the Mumbai attacks with Pakistani Foreign Minister Qureshi on 7 February 2009. The recent steps Pakistan has taken towards prosecution of those responsible are welcome. The UK will continue to press the Government of Pakistan for faster and further progress, and for effective action to break up the terrorist networks operating within its borders.

Common Foreign and Security Policy

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Czech counterpart on the Czech Presidency's priorities for the EU's common foreign and security policy.

Caroline Flint: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has spoken to Czech Foreign Minister Schwarzenberg about the Presidency's priority foreign policy issues on a number of occasions, including by phone on 4 January 2009, and in person ahead of the General Affairs and External Relations Council meeting on 26 January 2009 in Brussels. He also took part in a plenary discussion of the Czech Presidency priorities at that same meeting.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of EU disbursements for  (a) operations and  (b) other commitments in Afghanistan is met from UK contributions.

Bill Rammell: The UK's contribution to spending on the EU's commitments in Afghanistan (the office of the European Union Special Representative, the European Commission Delegation and common costs of the European Union Police Mission (EUPOL Afghanistan)) is approximately 17 per cent. This is the assessed contribution rate that the UK pays for all such EU missions. In financial year 2008-09, the UK is spending an additional £3.18 million to fund the deployment of UK police officers and experts to EUPOL.

British Nationality: Detainees

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 12 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1183W, on British nationality: detainees, and with reference to the Minister of State's letter of 10 December 2008 to the hon. Member for Chichester, in how many of the four cases  (a) the British nationals complained of mistreatment,  (b) consular access was requested,  (c) consular access was granted and  (d) the detainees were visited by other British officials.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 12 January 2009
	Two of the four British nationals alleged that they were ill-treated at the time of their release. However, we have no record of them pursuing the matter with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
	Consular access was requested in all four cases.
	Consular access was granted to the two individuals detained in Bangladesh. Consular access was granted only to the two individuals detained in Syria at the end of their periods of detention, immediately prior to their deportation.
	We can neither confirm nor deny whether other UK officials met any of these individuals to discuss non-consular matters.

Croatia: Slovenia

Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps his Department has taken to assist in the resolution of the boundary disputes between Croatia and Slovenia.

Caroline Flint: We continue to encourage the two countries to resolve this issue bilaterally. We do not believe that this issue should hold up progress of accession negotiations between the EU and Croatia.
	I raised the issue with the Government of Croatia during my visit to Zagreb on 6-7 November 2008.
	My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister raised the issue with Slovenian Prime Minister Pahor on 5 February 2009.
	We welcome the recent initiative from Commissioner Rehn to set up a group of wise men to facilitate dialogue between the two sides.

Cyprus: Cultural Heritage

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his assessment is of the prospects for the Europa Nostra initiative for the restoration of Famagusta/Varosha; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: Under the aegis of Europa Nostra, on 4 April 2008 agreement was reached by Greek and Turkish Cypriots to join forces to restore Famagusta. We welcome all such bi-communal initiatives to protect cultural heritage. We hope that early progress can be made.

European Union

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps the Government have taken to promote better links with its EU neighbours.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 19 January 2009
	We work hard to maintain and build links with our neighbours within the EU, both on a bilateral basis and through European Union institutions. The websites of our embassies to European neighbours such as Ireland, Germany and France detail recent developments on bilateral co-operation. Furthermore, through the EU we regularly meet with EU members at Prime Ministerial, ministerial and official level. The EU today is a unique partnership in which countries work closely together for the benefit of all their citizens, where collective and co-ordinated initiatives can be more effective than individual state action.

India: Overseas Aid

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department provides funding to India Aid.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not provide funding to India Aid. The Department for International Development has allocated £270 million for India in the financial year 2008-09, which includes assistance to other Indian non-governmental organisations, but not to India Aid.

Members: Correspondence

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to respond to the letters from the hon. Member for Argyll and Bute of 21 November 2008 and 22 December 2008 on correspondence from a constituent about Israel and Palestine.

Gillian Merron: holding answer 10 February 2009
	I apologise for the delay in replying to the hon. Member. A reply will be sent out shortly.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Laura Moffatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Gaza.

Bill Rammell: The political situation is undoubtedly complex. Our first priority is to ensure the Gaza population receives humanitarian aid and reconstruction materials, and so we have made available £26.8 million for the relief operation and are pressing Israel to open the crossings more fully. The Egyptian efforts to embed the ceasefire and to bridge the divide in Palestinian politics are at the heart of improving the political situation. We strongly support their efforts. I am travelling to Cairo today to discuss Gaza—and other issues—with Egypt.

Pakistan: Nuclear Power

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Pakistani authorities on the decision to release A.Q. Khan from house arrest; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: I met Pakistan Foreign Minister Qureshi on 7 February 2009. I expressed concern about the release of A.Q. Khan and made clear that the UK would still like to see A.Q. Khan interviewed about his proliferation activities. These concerns have been further reinforced with the Pakistani authorities in Islamabad at senior level through the acting high commissioner who also sought reassurance that A.Q. Khan would not be able to continue his proliferation activities.

Sri Lanka: Armed Conflict

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken in co-operation with international counterparts and organisations to bring about a peaceful solution to the Tamil conflict in Sri Lanka.

Bill Rammell: holding answer of 29 January 2009
	My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has made it clear that the UK wants to see an end to the conflict and a new drive for a lasting political solution. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary repeated the Prime Minister's call in his statement on 29 January urging the Government of Sri Lanka to announce a humanitarian ceasefire. He made this clear when he spoke to President Rajapakse on 30 January 2009. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials are in regular contact with the EU, Commonwealth and UN member state counterparts about the situation in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka: Armed Conflict

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken in co-operation with international counterparts to persuade the Government of Sri Lanka to allow access for UN and international observers in the northern region of the country.

David Miliband: The UK regularly lobbies the Government of Sri Lanka to allow full humanitarian access, including monitoring in the northern regions, which are most affected by the conflict. This is done both bilaterally in talks with the Sri Lankan Government and in conjunction with international partners, through the EU, Commonwealth and UN.
	My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister raised the issue of humanitarian access to the Vanni in his letter to President Rajapakse in January 2009. I also raised telephone conversations with President Rajapakse and the Foreign Minister Bogollogama, most recently on 13 February 2009.
	My noble Friend Lord Malloch-Brown made clear in his address to the Human Rights Council in March 2008 that the UK supports a stronger mandate and presence for the UN human rights mission for Sri Lanka.

WALES

Departmental Sick Leave

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff in his Department were on sick leave for  (a) over 30 days,  (b) over 50 days and  (c) over 100 days in each of the last five years.

Paul Murphy: Records for sick absence are only available for each financial year since April 2004.
	No staff were absent for more than 30 days in 2004-05 or 2005-06.
	In 2006-07 and 2007-08 a very small number of staff were absent for more than 30 days. In line with Cabinet Office guidance, exact figures are not given in order to protect their privacy.

Departmental Sick Leave

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the average number of days sick leave per staff member in his Department was in each of the last five years.

Paul Murphy: Figures for the level of sickness absence at the Wales Office are available for each financial year since April 2004.
	The average number of days of sickness absence is as follows:
	
		
			   Days 
			 2004-05 4.59 
			 2005-06 3.36 
			 2006-07 5.18 
			 2007-08 (1)9.27 
			 (1) Average is skewed by isolated incidents of long-term sickness absence.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Drinking Water

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 12 January 2009,  Official Report, column 196W, on departmental drinking water, what reductions in the number of water coolers are planned.

Shaun Woodward: We plan to reduce the overall number of water coolers by around 10 in the course of the next 12 months.

Departmental Press

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what newspapers his Department subscribed to in the last 12 months; and at what cost.

Shaun Woodward: The Northern Ireland Office's (excluding its Agencies and Executive NDPBs) total expenditure on newspapers in 2007-08 was £53,275. The information provided on the department's finance system does not allow the identification of costs which relate to subscriptions.

Departmental Television

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2008,  Official Report, column 995W, on departmental television, what criteria are used to decide which television subscriptions to subscribe to.

Shaun Woodward: Access is provided to TV channels to meet business requirements, and for Ministers and staff who are working away from home.

Departmental Television

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2008,  Official Report, column 995W, on departmental television, what criteria are used to decide which makes of television are purchased.

Shaun Woodward: The televisions purchased by the Department were selected because they were fit for purpose and represented value for money.

Departmental Travel

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2008,  Official Report, columns 995-6W, on departmental travel, how much was spent on hotels used by his Department's staff in  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05,  (c) 2005-06 and  (d) 2006-07.

Shaun Woodward: Prior to 2007-08, the Northern Ireland Office recorded expenditure relating to hotels under the general expense heading of overnight subsistence. The extraction of hotel costs would require the manual investigation of transactions within the overnight subsistence heading which could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Travel

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2009,  Official Report, column 729W, on departmental travel, how much was spent by his Department's agencies on  (a) staff travel within the UK and  (b) international staff travel in each year since 1997.

Shaun Woodward: As each of the Northern Ireland Office's agencies maintain their own finance systems, there are differences in the information that can be provided.
	
		
			  Northern Ireland Prison Service 
			  £ 
			   Within UK  Outside UK  Total 
			 1997-98 (1)— (1)— 948,884 
			 1998-99 (1)— (1)— 1,780,058 
			 1999-2000 (1)— (1)— 1,578,014 
			 2000-01 (1)— (1)— 1,453,299 
			 2001-02 (1)— (1)— 2,002,319 
			 2002-03 (1)— (1)— 1,383,910 
			 2003-04 1,382,452 735 1,383,187 
			 2004-05 1,791,044 645 1,791,689 
			 2005-06 1,860,508 4,330 1,864,838 
			 2006-07 1,634,440 3,805 1,638,245 
			 2007-08 1,415,943 2,051 1,417,994 
			 (1) Not available. 
		
	
	The Northern Ireland Prison Service is able to provide a breakdown of UK and international travel expenditure from 2003-04 in the format required. To split the expenditure in the same way prior to this would involve a manual investigation of all claims which would incur disproportionate costs.
	
		
			  Compensation Agency 
			  £ 
			   Within UK  Outside UK  Total 
			 1997-98 (1)— (1)— 12,474 
			 1998-99 (1)— (1)— 14,066 
			 1999-2000 (1)— (1)— 12,807 
			 2000-01 (1)— (1)— 16,533 
			 2001-02 (1)— (1)— 10,211 
			 2002-03 (1)— (1)— 24,413 
			 2003-04 (1)— (1)— 21,151 
			 2004-05 (1)— (1)— 17,281 
			 2005-06 (1)— (1)— 17,174 
			 2006-07 (1)— (1)— 13,342 
			 2007-08 (1)— (1)— 6,618 
			 (1) Not available. 
		
	
	Compensation Agency expenditure on travel is grouped under the same heading as subsistence. The figures therefore include both travel and subsistence. To provide separate costs and give details of whether the staff travel was within or outside the UK can be done only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Youth Justice Agency 
			  £ 
			   Within UK  Outside UK  Total 
			 1997-98 (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 1998-99 (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 1999-2000 (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 2000-01 (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 2001-02 (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 2002-03 (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 2003-04 184,499 0 184,499 
			 2004-05 173,318 0 173,318 
			 2005-06 192,926 0 192,926 
			 2006-07 244,107 535 244,642 
			 2007-08 225,663 0 225,663 
			 (1) Not applicable 
		
	
	The Youth Justice Agency was launched on 1 April 2003.
	
		
			  Forensic Science Agency of Northern Ireland 
			  £ 
			   Within UK  Outside UK  Total 
			 1997-98 (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 1998-99 (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 1999-2000 (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 2000-01 (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 2001-02 (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 2002-03 (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 2003-04 (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 2004-05 (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 2005-06 (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 2006-07 (1)— (1)— 107,127 
			 2007-08 (1)— (1)— 111,182 
			 (1) Not available. 
		
	
	FSNI's current finance system has only been in operation since 2006-07 and groups expenditure on travel under the same heading as subsistence. To provide the other information requested would involve a manual investigation of claims and could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Visits Abroad

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2008,  Official Report, column 1996W, on departmental visits abroad, what the purpose was of each of the visits to the US.

Shaun Woodward: My previous answer included official visits made by me, the Minister of State for Northern Ireland and officials.
	The United States has played and continues to play a critical role in the political process. Their involvement is crucial in securing further progress towards the devolution of policing and justice and investment in Northern Ireland. Successive Secretaries of State have worked closely with the United States and have made regular visits to discuss policy. I continue this policy.
	In addition officials have gone to the United States on official business for the purposes of learning and sharing knowledge (e.g. presenting evidence at the United Nations building).
	All travel is undertaken in accordance with departmental rules and the Civil Service Management Code.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Energy Performance Certificates

Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what consideration the House of Commons Commission has given to displaying energy certificates at the public entrances to the Palace of Westminster in line with Government policy on public non-domestic buildings exceeding a floor area of 1000 square metres.

Nick Harvey: In line with good practice energy assessments were commissioned in July 2008. Energy certificates will shortly be displayed on the parliamentary estate.

SCOTLAND

Baugur Group

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he plans to meet  (a) Ministerial colleagues and  (b) business leaders to discuss the risks to commercial activity in Scotland arising from the financial position of the Baugur Group.

Ann McKechin: My right hon. Friend and I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues and business leaders on a wide range of issues.

By-Elections: Glenrothes

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the implications of the marked register from the Glenrothes by-election going missing for his responsibility for policy for the conduct of elections in Scotland; what discussions he has had with the Scottish Courts Service on the matter; when the marked register should have been lodged with the Courts Service; and if he will make a statement.

Ann McKechin: Following UK Parliament elections, certain election documents and records, including the marked register currently, must be sent to the relevant sheriff clerk for storage. After one year the records must be destroyed. Following a Scotland Office consultation last year, responsibility for the retention and supply of post-election documents and records for UK Parliament elections is to be transferred from sheriff clerks to returning officers. The amendment is being made through the Political Parties and Elections Bill currently before Parliament. This will bring Scotland more into line with the arrangements in England and Wales as well as with the existing arrangements for local authority and European Parliament elections in Scotland. The intention is to make similar provision for Scottish Parliament election records through secondary legislation.
	I am aware that the Scottish Courts Service has commissioned an independent investigation into the particular circumstances of the loss of the marked register from the Glenrothes by-election and it would not, therefore, be appropriate for me to comment. Neither the Secretary of State nor I have had discussions with the Scottish Courts Service about the matter.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which ICT projects initiated by his Department were abandoned before completion in each year since 1997; what costs were incurred on each project; who the contractors were; what the date of  (a) commencement and  (b) abandonment was in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Ann McKechin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 12 January 2009,  Official Report, column 68W, to the hon. Member for Romford (Andrew Rosindell).

Departmental Internet

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a copy of his Department's website accessibility plan.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office website accessibility plan will be published on our new website which is to be launched shortly. As part of this upgrade, our website will be updated from Level Single-A of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines to Level Double-A of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.0.

Departmental Sick Leave

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 
	(1)  how many staff in his Department were on sick leave for  (a) over 30 days,  (b) over 50 days and  (c) over 100 days in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many staff in his Department were recorded as having been on sick leave for over 12 months on 31 December in each of the last five years.

Ann McKechin: All staff are on secondment from the Scottish Executive or the Ministry of Justice; who as parent Departments have absence management policies that apply to those of their staff working in this Office. We do not maintain a separate central record of sick absences. Such records are held by the parent Departments who publish their sick absence statistics.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many contacts there were between British forces and anti-coalition militia in Afghanistan in each month since June 2006;
	(2)  how many contacts between British and anti-coalition militia forces there have been in Helmand province in each roulement since June 2006.

John Hutton: The Ministry of Defence is currently collating and validating the data needed to answer this question. I will write to the hon. Member when this work is complete, and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Armed Forces: Schools

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  on what dates he has had meetings with the Leader of Essex county council on the involvement of the Ministry of Defence in either a military academy school or a military vocational college at Colchester; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether he has met the hon. Member for North Essex to discuss the involvement of his Department in a military academy school or a military vocational college at Colchester; and if he will make a statement.

Kevan Jones: I met the hon. Member for North Essex (Mr. Jenkin) and the Leader of Essex county council on 28 January 2009. No decision has been made regarding MOD involvement in an Academy school in the Colchester area and no proposal has been tabled by local authorities for any such initiative. Should an appropriate proposal be made, the Ministry of Defence would not be opposed in principle and would examine any proposal on its merits.

Departmental Pay

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has allocated for staff bonuses in 2008-09.

Kevan Jones: The total paybill for staff below the Senior Civil Service (excluding Trading Funds) covered by the main pay awards is £l,827 billion of which up to 2.7 per cent. is for non-consolidated performance awards to staff. The median payment is £775.
	The total paybill for permanent members of the Senior Civil Service (SCS) is £18.4 million of which 8.6 per cent. is for non-consolidated performance awards. The median payment is £8,000. This does not include fixed term employees at SCS level.
	Non consolidated performance awards are designed to reward those deemed to have made the greatest contribution through specific in-year achievements such as the delivery of a major project, to departmental objectives or defence business more widely and overall costs must be contained within a set percentage of the pay bill. For the Senior Civil Service the size of the non-consolidated performance pay pot is based on recommendations by the independent Senior Salaries Review Body.

Departmental Security

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff working in his Department's main building lost their security passes in each month of 2008.

Kevan Jones: In 2008, 23 members of staff (including contractors) working in MOD Main Building reported their passes as lost or stolen. The monthly breakdown is tabled as follows:
	
		
			   Lost  Stolen 
			 January 2 — 
			 February 2 — 
			 March — 1 
			 April — — 
			 May 1 — 
			 June 2 1 
			 July 2 1 
			 August 1 — 
			 September 2 — 
			 October 3 1 
			 November — 1 
			 December 2 1 
		
	
	Once reported as lost or stolen, passes are disabled immediately, denying access to the building.

EU Battlegroups

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 3 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1116W, on Netherlands: military exercises, whether the training exercise planned for 2009 will be used to meet the EU certification requirement for the UK's commitment to the EU Battlegroup for the first half of 2010.

Bob Ainsworth: No. There will be a separate training exercise in November 2009 which will be used to validate the UK commitment to the EU Battlegroup.

Ex-servicemen: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many ex-service  (a) men and  (b) women living in the City of York have received Veteran's Badges.

Kevan Jones: The information is not held in the format that identifies how many ex-service men and women living in the City of York have received their Veterans Badges. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	We have however, identified that 1,391 veterans applying for the badge have included York in their address.

Ex-servicemen: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) service and  (b) ex-service (i) men and (ii) women normally resident in York have received (A) medals for bravery or distinguished service, (B) mentions in despatches, (C) campaign medals and (D) other medals and honours for military service since 1997.

Kevan Jones: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any unmanned aerial vehicles tested at Parc Aberporth have been deployed by Israel in Gaza; and if he will make a statement.

Quentin Davies: The MOD has not tested any unmanned aerial vehicles at Parc Aberporth.

QinetiQ

Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the Treasury Minute entitled The privatisation of QinetiQ issued in response to the Committee of Public Accounts' Twenty-Fourth Report of session 2007-08, what steps his Department has taken as a result of the findings of the review of QinetiQ's compliance regime undertaken by his Department's internal auditors.

Quentin Davies: As a result of the recommendations made by the Defence Internal Audit report, the following action has been taken by the Department:
	Inclusion of Defence Equipment and Support senior commercial staff in the approvals process to ensure that risk assessments address interrelationships between projects and cover the totality of MOD's business.
	Increased visibility of QinetiQ's oversight and implementation of the compliance regime through Defence Equipment and Support Director General Commercial involvement and inclusion in the QinetiQ Compliance Committee correspondence.
	QinetiQ will provide Defence Equipment and Support with formal confirmation of their internal reviews and notify the Department of the findings, to enable a joint approach to managing risk.
	Improvements to day to day operation of the firewall procedures including an update to QinetiQ's Compliance Manual to improve the firewall closure process.
	Ongoing awareness training for Department commercial staff to ensure early identification of conflicts in the supply chain.
	Development of a set of generic principles for dealing with conflicts of interest wherever they occur in the supply chain. These principles draw heavily on the QinetiQ compliance regime which is seen as effective and comprehensive.

TRANSPORT

Accessibility and Equalities Directorate

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the answer of 27 January 2009,  Official Report, column 298W, on the Accessibility and Equalities Directorate, what timetable he has set for considering options for the management of his Department's business in relation to the work carried out by the Accessibility and Equalities Directorate.

Geoff Hoon: I have not set a timetable. The Permanent Secretary is responsible for the effective management of staff and resources to achieve all departmental goals, including the promotion of greater equality of opportunity for all citizens.

Departmental Aviation

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many flights each Minister in his Department has made in each of the last five years; how many miles each Minister has flown in each of those years; how much in carbon dioxide emissions is attributable to these flights; and what the cost of the flights has been.

Geoff Hoon: The detailed information requested is not held centrally, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Since 1999 the Government have published a list of Cabinet Ministers' overseas travel over £500 along with the total cost for all ministerial travel. The list for 2007-08 includes a list of overseas travel over £500 undertaken by all Ministers. Information for the last financial year was published on 22 July 2008,  Official Report, column 102WS. Copies of previous lists are available in the Libraries of the House. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
	All central Government ministerial and official air travel has been offset from 1 April 2006. Most Departments calculate their aviation emissions on an annual basis and subsequently offset through payments to a central fund. The fund purchases UN-approved certified emissions reductions credits from energy efficiency and renewable energy projects with sustainable development benefits, located in developing countries.
	A list of Government Carbon Offsetting Fund members, their emission figures and what activities they have offset through the fund is available online at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/uk/carbonoffset/govt-list.htm

Departmental Data Protection

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many members of staff in his Department have been  (a) investigated,  (b) suspended and  (c) dismissed for losing (i) memory sticks, (ii) laptop computers, (iii) desktop computers and (iv) mobile telephones belonging to his Department in each year since 1997.

Geoff Hoon: The Department's seven Executive agencies and its Shared Service Centre have not found records of any instances of staff members being suspended or dismissed in relation to the loss of memory sticks, laptop computers, desktop computers or mobile telephones. To fully search the historical disciplinary data for the central Department would incur disproportionate costs.
	Departments have taken urgent and decisive action across Government to improve data handing including minimising the amount of data put on removable media, encryption programmes for data and mobile devices that carry personal protected data and the introduction of training and education programmes to improve staff awareness of information risks.
	The Government take data security very seriously which is why a report into data handling procedures across Government was commissioned and new measures to improve and strengthen controls in the protection of personal data were introduced.
	Under Para 2.8 of the Data Handling Report published in June 2008, all Departments are required to:
	"amend HR processes where necessary to make clear that failing to apply controls in handling personal data could amount to gross misconduct."
	The Department and its agencies are in the process of reviewing HR processes to ensure that they meet the requirements of paragraph 2.8 of the Data Handling Report.

Departmental Foreign Workers

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) EU foreign nationals and  (b) non-EU foreign nationals are employed by his Department.

Geoff Hoon: There are a total of  (a) 56 EU foreign nationals and  (b) 27 non-EU foreign nationals employed in the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the Vehicle Certification Agency and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency. The Central Department, the Driving Standards Agency, the Government Car and Despatch Agency and the Highways Agency do not record these data separately and they can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Equality Impact Assessments

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many equalities impact assessments his Department has undertaken in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such assessments.

Geoff Hoon: The Department for Transport and its agencies have carried out over 100 Equality Impact Assessments in the last 12 months and are in the process of setting up a system to accurately monitor all assessments going forward. A cost estimate could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Internet

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a copy of his Department's website accessibility plan.

Geoff Hoon: The Department for Transport intends to comply with Level Double-A of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (version 1.0 or the version 2.0 equivalent) by December 2009.
	A summary of the online accessibility plan/policy for the Department's website:
	www.dft.gov.uk
	is available at:
	www.dft.gov.uk/accessibility

Departmental Pay

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department has allocated for staff bonuses in 2008-09.

Geoff Hoon: The Department for Transport comprises a central Department plus seven executive agencies each with its own pay and reward system. Information regarding non-consolidated performance pay has been collected from the central Department and all seven agencies.
	The Department has allocated £12,336,194 for non-consolidated performance payments to staff in 2008-09.
	The total paybill for the Department for 2008-09 is £606,890,207. Non-consolidated performance payments represent 2.03 per cent. of the paybill.
	Non-consolidated performance pay is funded within existing paybill controls and has to be re-earned each year against pre-determined targets. It is paid in respect of exceptional overall performance or exceptional performance on a specific task or at a specific time and, as such, does not add to future pay bill costs.

Departmental Translation Services

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many language translators are employed in  (a) each of his Department's Executive agencies and  (b) its non-Ministerial department; and what the cost of translating services provided by such people was in the latest period for which information is available.

Geoff Hoon: The central Department and its agencies do not employ any staff specifically for translation purposes. However, when such services are required they will be procured on an ad hoc basis.
	The cost of such services are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  £ 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 DfT(c) 18,100 22,600 22,400 34,200 23,900 
			 DVLA 84,200 92,700 78,800 134,500 111,700 
			 VOSA 19,000 55,000 37,000 56,000 56,000 
			 VCA 1,300 1,400 2,100 2,100 800 
			 MCA 8,500 4,700 7,700 20,100 12,200 
			 DSA (1)— (1)— 4,900 100 3,200 
			 HA (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 (1) Data not available. (2) Data not available except at disproportionate cost.  Note: Those for DfT(c) include interpretation as well as translation. Separate translation information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. 
		
	
	Information on translations provided by the Department's non-departmental public bodies  (b) is held by the bodies themselves. This information is not held centrally.

Fines

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what administrative financial penalties may be levied by his Department and its agencies.

Geoff Hoon: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. To answer this question fully would entail all policy units and agencies of the Department researching and providing the information.

Railways: Bus Services

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent on rail replacement bus services in the North East in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport does not hold this information.

Railways: Finance

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 5 February 2009,  Official Report, column 50WS, on rail services, whether the fund for the provision of rail services promoted by local authorities or passenger transport authorities will come from the rail budget; how many projects he estimates will meet his Department's criteria for funding in this manner; what representations he has received from local authorities on the number of projects that are likely to meet his Department's criteria; whether capital projects designed to enhance capacity on the rail network will be applicable for such funding; and whether he plans to allow private sector organisations to bid for capital projects on the railways under the fund.

Paul Clark: A fund for supporting rail services initially funded by local authorities and passenger transport executives (PTEs) will be formally established at the time the high level output specification for the period 2014-19 is published in 2012. As the fund has only just been announced, we have yet to receive representations from local authorities and therefore have no precise number of the projects likely to meet the Department for Transport's criteria for funding from this initiative in the period 2014-19. This fund does not include capital funding for projects. Local authorities and regions can already recommend to Ministers that regional funding allocations can be used for investment in rail schemes.

Railways: Pennines

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many Transpennine Express train services on the Manchester to Hull line scheduled to run at peak hours ran according to the timetable in each year since 1997.

Paul Clark: This is an operational matter for Network Rail as the custodian of timetable and performance data for the rail industry. The hon. Member should contact Network Rail's Chief Executive at the following address for a response to his question:
	Ian Coucher
	Chief Executive
	Network Rail
	40 Melton Street
	London, NW1 2EE.

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the schedule for de-trunking of each road in the non-core network in the next five years is.

Paul Clark: The 1998 Transport White Paper, "A New Deal for Transport: Better for Everyone", set in hand a programme of de-trunking to allow the Highways Agency to concentrate on the operation of a strategic road network that links the main centres of population and major transport hubs.
	There are four road sections remaining in this de-trunking programme as follows:
	The A38 from Minworth (Birmingham) to its junction with the A5 at Weeford Island.
	The A63/A19 between the Boot and Shoe roundabout at Micklefield and Loftsome Bridge.
	The A65 from M6 junction 36 to the Lancashire/North Yorkshire boundary.
	The A40 from Ross-on-Wye to the county of Herefordshire/Gloucestershire boundary.
	These road sections are expected to be de-trunked by the end of March 2009 and the de-trunking programme will then be completed.
	There are no plans to initiate any similar programme of de-trunking in future years, as distinct from individual de-trunking orders that may be required as a matter of routine following a new road opening, or for operational reasons.

TransPennine Express: Rolling Stock

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to ensure that extra carriages for TransPennine Express will be manufactured in England.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport's procurement procedures conform to European Union procurement directives and UK regulations which prohibit the selection of suppliers on the grounds of country of origin or manufacture. The Department's process in evaluating bids does not therefore incorporate such criteria.
	The winning bidder for new rolling stock procured by the Department will be selected on the basis of compliance with the technical specification, deliverability and value for money for the taxpayer.

TREASURY

Banks: Accountancy

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what dates the auditors of banks regulated by the Financial Services Authority who issued a qualified audit report on the 2007-08 accounts of a bank informed his Department of their plans to issue such reports.

Ian Pearson: The auditors of banks that are regulated by the FSA have a duty to report to the FSA if they intend to issue a qualified audit report. The auditors do not have a duty to report such matters to HM Treasury.

Capital Gains Tax

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate what the cost to the Exchequer would be of exempting from capital gains tax business owners who sell their businesses upon retirement up to the value of  (a) £100,000,  (b) £200,000,  (c) £300,000,  (d) £400,000,  (e) £500,000 and  (f) £1,000,000 in each financial year from 2009-10 to 2014-15.

Stephen Timms: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the former Financial Secretary (Jane Kennedy) on 22 May 2008,  Official Report, column 435W.

Child Care Tax Credit

Karen Buck: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many parents were claiming child care tax credit in respect of children aged  (a) between four and 11 and  (b) over 11 years old in each of the last three years.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is available only at a disproportionate cost.
	However, estimates of the number of families, by age group of children, benefiting from the child care element of working tax credit at selected dates, are published in table 4.4 of the HMRC publication "Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics" for each year. These publications are available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-quarterly-stats.htm

Departmental Sick Leave

Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff in his Department were on sick leave for  (a) over 30 days,  (b) over 50 days and  (c) over 100 days in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: The following table shows the total staff on sick leave in each of the last five years.
	
		
			   Over 30 days  Over 50 days  Over 100 days 
			 2004 12 13 12 
			 2005 18 15 11 
			 2006 11 20 7 
			 2007 11 17 12 
			 2008 7 10 7

Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks

John Grogan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the extra revenue which would be raised in 2008-09 by increasing the rate of duty on cider to that levied on beer.

Angela Eagle: HM Revenue and Customs publishes estimates of the revenue effects of alcohol duty rate changes on its website:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tax_expenditures/table1-6.pdf
	The duty rate on still cider and perry exceeding 1.2 per cent. abv and not exceeding 7.5 per cent. abv is £31.21 per hectolitre of product. The duty rate on beer is £16.15 per hectolitre per cent. of alcohol in the beer. Hence, the duty rate on beer will vary depending on its alcoholic strength, whereas cider pays the same amount of duty regardless of its strength within the 1.2 per cent.—7.5 per cent. strength band. Any beer with abv in excess of 1.93 per cent. will pay higher duty per hectolitre than cider between 1.2 per cent. abv and 7.5 per cent. abv.

Job Creation

Greg Hands: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 28 January 2009,  Official Report, column 588W, on public expenditure, what estimate he has made of the proportion of the 100,000 jobs which will go to British workers; and how many of these jobs he expects to arise in relation to eco-friendly projects.

Angela Eagle: The public sector capital investment brought forward in 2009-10, which was detailed in the pre-Budget report, will create jobs in sectors and communities across the UK. A number of areas in which capital will be brought forward are focused on environmental goals, including the Warm Front programme and spending to improve household energy efficiency.

Non-Domestic Rates: Business

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department carried out of the effect on businesses of the planned increase in national non-domestic rates in April 2009; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	Government policy on Impact Assessments is that they are not required where a predetermined formula, such as the rate of inflation, changes the rate of a tax.
	www.berr.gov.uk/files/file44544.pdf

Non-Profit Making Associations

Andrew Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the Office of Government Commerce is taking to implement the recommendations of the Glover review.

Angela Eagle: In response to the recommendations of the Glover report, the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) is working on a number of projects to make it easier for small and medium sized enterprises to supply the public sector. Work is underway to deliver all of the recommendations by the end of 2010, though many will be delivered sooner. An update of progress will be provided at Budget 2009. Government will continue to work closely with SMEs and business representative groups to ensure that the impact of the recommendations is positive.

Public Expenditure: Small Businesses

Andrew Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department monitors the proportion of Government spending on public sector contracts which goes to small businesses.

Angela Eagle: HM Treasury does not currently monitor this. However, the Glover report, "Accelerating the SME Economic Engine" published on the HMT website in November 2008, made 12 recommendations to improve SMEE access to public procurement including:
	"The committee recommends that all central Government departments should report annually on the value of their contract spend with SMEs."
	Government are currently implementing all the recommendations of the Glover report.

Public Expenditure: Small Businesses

Andrew Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what training the Office of Government Commerce provides for public procurement managers on dealing with consortia of small businesses tendering for public contracts.

Angela Eagle: In response to the recommendations of the Glover report, the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) is working on a number of projects to make it easier for small and medium sized enterprises to supply the public sector. One of the projects to be delivered this year has a specific focus on advising and training procurers and will cover the issue of consortia bidding. This area is also covered in OGC's supply chain management guidance which is available on the OGC website.

Regional Planning and Development: Finance

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the timetable is for the next regional finance allocation for each region; and what scrutiny processes apply to the allocations.

Angela Eagle: The allocation of resources to Government Departments is determined through the regular spending review framework. The allocation of spending to the English regions by Government Departments is determined by a large number of factors taking into account the needs and circumstances of each region.

Revenue and Customs

Alan Meale: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost of the closure of HM Revenue and Customs' office, Chaucer House, Mansfield; and by what date he expects such costs to be recouped by anticipated savings resulting from the closure.

Janet Dean: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost of the closure of the HM Revenue and Customs office in Burton-on-Trent; and by what date he expects such costs to be recouped by anticipated savings resulting from the closure.

Stephen Timms: Reliable figures for the costs of closing both offices will only be established once workable options have been found for all staff prior to the buildings being vacated. It is not possible to give a date by which costs would be recouped by anticipated savings from specific closures because HM Revenue and Customs' efficiency savings from business restructuring will be recognised at a department-wide level and not at individual office levels.

Revenue and Customs

Janet Dean: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the change in the amount of travel allowance paid in each month to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) staff who are to relocate following the closure of the HMRC office in Burton-on-Trent.

Stephen Timms: The daily travel allowance that will be paid to staff as a result of the closure of Crown House, Burton on Trent cannot be estimated at this stage. The actual amounts payable depend on a number of factors which cannot be calculated in advance. These can include the mode of transport, the working pattern of the employee, availability of season tickets and cost of fuel, among others. Staff who have been working at this locality will be moving to Derby, Nottingham or Birmingham.
	It is not yet certain where all employees currently working at Crown House will relocate to, as the redeployment opportunities we offer include help in moving to other Government Departments, retraining for posts in the wider public sector or other early release schemes.

Revenue and Customs

Alan Meale: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the total cost of redundancy payments for HM Revenue and Customs staff who are leaving the service following the closure of Chaucer House, Mansfield.

Stephen Timms: HMRC has not estimated redundancy payments for the staff at Chaucer House in Mansfield. While it has announced the vacation of the building, with the exception of the Enquiry Centre, by March 2010 HMRC is working with the staff and managers involved to identify redeployment opportunities.
	Managers are meeting individually with staff to discuss their personal circumstances and the full package of options and assistance which are available.
	HMRC has not used compulsory redundancy to date and will maintain this policy where it is reasonably practical to do so.

Revenue and Customs

Alan Meale: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the change to the total amount of travel allowance paid to HM Revenue and Customs staff who are to relocate following the closure of Chaucer House office, Mansfield.

Stephen Timms: The daily travel allowance that will be paid to staff as a result of the closure of Chaucer House, Mansfield cannot be estimated at this stage. The actual amounts payable depend on a number of factors which cannot be calculated in advance. These can include the mode of transport, the working pattern of the employee, availability of season tickets and cost of fuel, amongst others.
	It is not yet certain that all employees currently working at Chaucer House will relocate to Castle Meadow as the redeployment opportunities we offer include help in moving to other Government Departments, retraining for posts in the wider public sector or other early release schemes.

Revenue and Customs

Janet Dean: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost of redundancy payments for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) staff who are leaving the service following the closure of the HMRC office in Burton-on-Trent.

Stephen Timms: HMRC has not estimated redundancy payments for the staff at Crown House in Burton upon Trent. It plans to vacate the building with the exception of one floor containing an inquiry centre by 31 March 2010. HMRC is working with the staff and managers involved to identify redeployment opportunities.
	Managers are meeting individually with staff to discuss their personal circumstances and the full package of options and assistance which are available.
	HMRC has not used compulsory redundancy to date and will maintain this policy where it is reasonably practical to do so.

Revenue and Customs: Standards

Chris Mullin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will call for a report from HM Revenue and Customs as to the percentage of tax returns received by 31 October 2008 which had been processed by 31 January 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: Of 2.74 million paper tax returns received by the new deadline of 31 October 2008, less than 1 per cent. remained unprocessed at 5 February, the nearest date to 31 January for which HMRC has a precise count.

Smuggling: Tobacco

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much HM Revenue and Customs spent on information campaigns relating to the smuggling and supply of illegal and counterfeit tobacco in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: HM Revenue and Customs spend by year on targeted media campaigns to support their anti-smuggling strategy was:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2003-04 672,449 
			 2004-05 83,368 
			 2005-06 556,382 
			 2006-07 91,993 
			 2007-08 55,000

Smuggling: Tobacco

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much HM Revenue and Customs spent on reducing levels of smuggling and supplying of illegal and counterfeit tobacco in the latest period for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: The information requested is not available.

Tax Allowances

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide tax relief to all forms of media using public interest criteria.

Stephen Timms: The Government have no plans to provide additional tax relief to all forms of media.
	The Government have clear objectives for the tax system, which include minimising distortions. For the introduction of any special reliefs the Government will need to be satisfied that there is clear evidence of the benefits, and that these outweigh the costs of the introduction of the measure.

VAT: Catering

John Grogan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer of reducing to five per cent. value added tax on the supply of restaurants and catering services, exclusive of services relating to the sale of alcohol.

Stephen Timms: No recent estimate of the cost of such a reduction has been made.

VAT: Disabled

Mark Harper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to review the rules relating to value added tax relief for people with disabilities; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: VAT zero-rating currently applies to a wide range of goods and services supplied to disabled people for their personal use. Under the VAT agreements with our European partners signed by successive governments, we can retain our existing VAT zero rates, but we may not extend them or introduce new ones. It is therefore not possible to remove VAT from additional goods and services purchased by disabled people.
	The same VAT agreements allow EU member states to introduce reduced rates of VAT of not less than 5 per cent. on a prescribed list of goods and services. All taxes are kept under review, but given the wide range of the UK's zero rates we see little scope within the reduced rate list for the introduction of further VAT reliefs that would benefit disabled people.

VAT: Disabled

Mark Harper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of  (a) the total value of value added tax (VAT) relief on goods and services for people with disabilities,  (b) the number of sold goods for disabled people which were VAT zero-rated and  (c) the number of disabled people who have received goods and services that have been VAT zero-rated in each year since 1997.

Stephen Timms: Estimates of the value of the VAT zero rate on vehicles and other supplies to people with disabilities are published in Table 7 of the Tax Ready Reckoner and Tax Reliefs, available on the HM Treasury website at:
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/pbr08_taxreadyreckoner_287.pdf
	These estimates are based on expenditure data only. HM Revenue and Customs does not collect information on the number of such goods sold, or on the number of disabled people receiving them.

VAT: Museums and Galleries

Mark Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with HM Revenue and Customs officials on changes to the interpretation of the rules on the recovery of value added tax for libraries and museums; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: There have been no discussions about changing the interpretation of the rules governing the scheme that provides for the recovery of VAT by libraries and museums under the provisions of section 33A of the VAT Act 1994.
	The scheme was introduced as a part of the Government's commitment to make access to the main museums and galleries free. Because VAT can be recovered only on purchases relating to taxable business activities (such as charging for admission), abolishing admission charges could have left museums and galleries bearing the cost of irrecoverable VAT. The scheme refunds this VAT, but it is confined to museums and galleries. The National Libraries are included in it, but only in relation to their permanent collections on free public display.

Welfare Tax Credits

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of  (a) new claims,  (b) renewals and  (c) change of circumstances claims for tax credits have been processed (i) within and (ii) after the target time in each month since the introduction of tax credits;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of tax credit payments have been made  (a) within and  (b) after the target time for payments in each month since their introduction;
	(3)  what targets his Department has set for the time taken to process  (a) a new application for tax credits and  (b) an application to renew a tax credits claim; how long on average it has taken to process (i) a new claim for tax credits and (ii) an application to renew a tax credits claim (A) in each year since the scheme's introduction and (B) in each of the last 12 months; how many new claims for tax credits have been received by the Tax Credit Office in each month since their introduction; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) sets its tax credits processing targets annually.
	Performance outturn for all new claims, renewals and changes of circumstances for 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 can be found in the Department's autumn performance reports which are available at:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/reports.htm
	 (a) Information relating solely to new claims for 2006-07 and 2007-08 is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			  Target   86% in five working days  95% in 30 working days 
			 2006-07 Outturn 80 91.7 
			 2007-08 Outturn 81 91.7 
		
	
	In 2008-09 the Tax Credit Office (TCO) aims to pay 60 per cent. of all tax credits claims in 15 calendar days and all new tax credit claims in 20 calendar days In light of the difference to previous years' targets, HMRC is working hard to identify how resources can be most effectively deployed to achieve these revised aims. Separate information about the time taken to make payments in earlier years is not available.
	 (b) Information relating solely to renewals for 2006-07 and 2007-08 is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			  Target   86% in five working days  95% in 30 working days 
			 2006-07 Outturn 43.7 85.3 
			 2007-08 Outturn 74.7 90 
		
	
	In 2008, HMRC had an internal measure that aimed to process 85 per cent. of tax credits renewals in 15 working days over the renewal period. Around 99 per cent. of renewals cleared from April 2008 to September 2008 inclusive were processed within the target time with an average processing time of around three days.
	 (c) For information about change of circumstances I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Cardiff Central (Jenny Willott) on 28 January 2009,  Official Report , column 591W. Detailed information about the number of change of circumstance notifications received and processed is not available in the format requested.
	For the number of new tax credits claims received from January 2006 to November 2008 inclusive, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Wealden (Charles Hendry) on 27 October 2008,  Official Report, column 792W and the answer my hon. Friend the Exchequer Secretary gave the hon. Member for Cardiff Central (Jenny Willott) on 10 December 2008,  Official Report, column 198W.
	The number of new claims received from households in each month November 2002 to December 2005 inclusive, and in December 2008 and January 2009 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Number of new claims 
			  2002  
			 November 765,225 
			 December 357,684 
			   
			  2003  
			 January 519,982 
			 February 674,744 
			 March 487,319 
			 April 419,484 
			 May 484,326 
			 June 361,554 
			 July 329,014 
			 August 146,102 
			 September 129,534 
			 October 125,468 
			 November 110,497 
			 December 71,990 
			   
			  2004  
			 January 98,088 
			 February 105,397 
			 March 109,432 
			 April 108,802 
			 May 133,170 
			 June 141,319 
			 July 136,006 
			 August 119,116 
			 September 162,325 
			 October 156,743 
			 November 138,198 
			 December 108,783 
			   
			  2005  
			 January 107,655 
			 February 121,839 
			 March 113,983 
			 April 114,908 
			 May 111,586 
			 June 127,140 
			 July 115,555 
			 August 127,774 
			 September 147,331 
			 October 164,764 
			 November 175,523 
			 December 70,068 
			   
			  2008  
			 December 97,522 
			   
			  2009  
			 January 109,046

Welfare Tax Credits

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of tax credit payments were made  (a) into bank accounts and  (b) by other payment methods in each of the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is provided in the following table.
	
		
			   Method of payment  
			 Percentage of total payments  
			  2008  BACs ( T housand)  Cheque ( T housand)  BACs  Cheque  Total payments ( T housand) 
			 February 15,970 369 97.74 2.26 16,339 
			 March 15,994 354 97.83 2.17 16,298 
			 April 17,670 380 97.89 2.11 18,050 
			 May 17,997 396 97.85 2.15 18,393 
			 June 17,762 397 97.81 2.19 18,159 
			 July 20,176 465 97.75 2.25 20,641 
			 August 15,895 356 97.81 2.19 16,251 
			 September 17,175 381 97.83 2.17 17,556 
			 October 18,022 397 97.84 2.16 18,419 
			 November 15,858 355 97.81 2.19 16,213 
			 December 20,137 415 97.98 2.02 20,552 
			 January 16,330 359 97.85 2.15 16,689 
			 Total 208,936 4,624 97.83 2.17 213,560

Welfare Tax Credits

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions the Tax Credit Office has been notified by claimants of a delay in receiving payments in each of the last 12 months.

Stephen Timms: The information is not available.

Welfare Tax Credits

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the effect on public expenditure of removing the second income threshold on tax credits and applying a consistent taper rate of 44 per cent. while increasing the first income threshold of tax credits to  (a) £6,750,  (b) £7,000,  (c) £7,500,  (d) £8,000,  (e) £8,500,  (f) £9,000,  (g) £9,500 and  (h) £10,000 in each of the next six years; if he will estimate the number of people who would have an entitlement reduced to zero in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is available only at a disproportionate cost.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Constituencies

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission whether the Electoral Commission has made estimates of the likely impact of under-registration on the size of the electorates in new constituencies proposed by the Boundary Commissions.

Peter Viggers: The Commission informs me that it has not made any such estimates.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission whether the Electoral Commission has undertaken research on the effect of recent changes in the law that allow local authority electoral registration officers to consult local government databases.

Peter Viggers: The Commission informs me that it has undertaken no such research. However, its performance standards for electoral registration officers include the requirement to check council tax, housing benefit and any other council records that would help them to carry out their registration duties. The Electoral Commission will publish an assessment of the performance of electoral registration officers in respect of this standard in spring 2009.
	The Electoral Commission further informs me that it will also review the use and effectiveness of local government databases as part of its longer term research programme into the accuracy and completeness of electoral registers.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what representations the Electoral Commission has received on electoral registration officers using central government databases to improve their electoral registers.

Peter Viggers: The Commission informs me that in its 2002 consultation "Electoral registration: a review of the process", it specifically sought views on whether better data-sharing between local and central Government databases would help electoral registration officers improve the accuracy of electoral registers. The Commission received 32 representations addressing this issue, from electoral registration officers, political parties and other organisations.
	The Commission further informs me that many respondents to the consultation supported the principle of better gathering of data to improve the accuracy of electoral registers. However, there was considerable variance in views on, or understanding of, the extent to which this would be possible under existing law.

Electoral Register and Postal Votes

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission how much funding the Electoral Commission has provided for research into  (a) under-registration and  (b) postal vote fraud in each year since it was established.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it does not hold this information in the requested format. However it regularly conducts research into both registration and the security of postal voting. The following table sets out the costs of all public opinion research projects that have addressed these subjects.
	
		
			  UK 
			  Financial year  Cost (£) 
			 2001-02 60,000 
			 2002-03 89,065 
			 2003-04 346,332 
			 2004-05 343,706 
			 2005-06 229,933 
			 2006-07 284,071 
			 2007-08 278,459 
			 2008-09 122,850 
		
	
	The Commission has also conducted research using electoral registers to review the extent of under-registration. Costs for this are as follows:
	
		
			  UK 
			  Financial year  Cost (£) 
			 2001-02 — 
			 2002-03 39,405 
			 2003-04 40,185 
			 2004-05 146,064 
			 2005-06 29,500 
			 2006-07 95,704 
			 2007-08 86,574 
			 2008-09 69,818 
		
	
	In addition to expenditure on research, the Commission also works to identify and analyse the scale and frequency of postal voting malpractice, through monitoring electoral petitions and prosecutions for electoral offences and liaison with the police, prosecuting authorities, and electoral registration and returning officers.

Electoral Register and Postal Votes

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission how many meetings Electoral Commission officers have  (a) initiated and  (b) attended on (i) postal ballot fraud and (ii) electoral registration in each of the last five years.

Peter Viggers: The Commission does not hold this information in the requested format. However, it informs me that over the past five years, Commission staff initiated or attended a number of briefings, seminars and meetings involving electoral registration officers, electoral administrators, academics, political parties, the Crown Prosecution Service, the police, Government officials and elected representatives, at which postal ballot fraud and electoral registration were discussed.
	The Commission further informs me that in 2007 it hosted 10 dedicated seminars covering electoral registration across England and Wales for electoral registration officers and administrators. It has also held four national and two regional seminars for Single Point of Contact (SPOC) police officers on reducing and preventing electoral fraud, including postal ballot fraud.

Electoral Register: Marketing

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what assessment the Electoral Commission has made of the effectiveness of its advertising campaign to raise electoral registration levels.

Peter Viggers: The Commission informs me that it measures the effect of its advertising campaigns through direct response statistics such as the number of voter registration forms ordered through its telephone helpline or downloaded from its website. The Commission also undertakes independent tracking research to measure the reach of its campaigns among target audiences.
	The 2006 report by the Comptroller and Auditor General to the Speaker's Committee entitled "Is the Public Aware of Democracy" concluded that
	"the Commission has used its resources in raising public awareness in general effectively when judged by measures such as recall rates and other industry measures for its advertising. There does too, seem to have been an overall positive effect on voter registration".

Electoral Register: Marketing

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what steps the Electoral Commission has taken to encourage the use of doorstep canvassing in increasing levels of voter registration.

Peter Viggers: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to him of 21 October 2008,  Official Report, column 151W.

Electoral Register: Standards

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what steps the Electoral Commission has taken to measure the effectiveness of electoral registration officers in increasing levels of voter registration.

Peter Viggers: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to him of 21 October 2008,  Official Report, column 151W. The Electoral Commission informs me that it is in the process of assessing EROs against the published performance standards and will publish an assessment in spring 2009.

Pay

Dominic Grieve: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission how many bonus payments were made in 2007-08 to  (a) senior civil servants and  (b) other staff of the Electoral Commission; and how much was paid in total.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that there were 15 bonus payments to staff during 2007-08, totalling £23,145. The Electoral Commission is independent of Government and its staff are not civil servants.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Council Housing: Greater London

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1278W, on council housing: Greater London, what data her Department routinely collects on the number of people  (a) on housing waiting lists and  (b) in housing need; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: Local authorities report summary information about their housing waiting list in Section C of their annual Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) returns. The latest available data are at April 2008. These include the total number of households (rather than people) on the housing register and a breakdown of their bedroom requirements. A question was recently added requesting the number of households on the waiting list in any reasonable preference category. Information is collected at local authority level.
	A link to the table presenting the number of households on the housing waiting list in each local authority is as follows:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/table600.xls
	Further information on the number of households on the local authority housing waiting lists for England, including the full HSSA datasets, can be accessed from the statistical release 'Local Authority Housing Statistics England: 2007-08: Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) and Business Plan Statistical Appendix (BPSA)'. This was published on 22 January 2009 on the Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/lahousing200708
	Copies of the statistical release and live table have been deposited in the Library.
	Not everyone on the waiting list is necessarily in urgent housing need. The waiting list includes those who consider social housing as their preferred or one of a number of housing options, and those who decide to get onto the waiting list ladder before they need or want to move house—particularly where the priority system is heavily based on waiting time. The size of the waiting list is not an indicator of absolute need, it is only useful as a broad indicator of housing demand in an area.
	Currently no information is collected on housing need. A new analytical model is currently being developed to improve the Department's capacity to estimate the number and type of households with some form of housing related need.

Council Housing: Hertfordshire

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people are on local authority housing waiting lists in  (a) Hemel Hempstead and  (b) Hertfordshire; and what the equivalent figures were (i) five and (ii) 10 years ago.

Iain Wright: Information is available on numbers of households rather than people. The number of households registered on local authority housing waiting lists in each local authority, as at 1 April each year, is published on the Communities and Local Government website in Table 600. The latest available data are at April 2008. The link for this table is given as follows:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/table600.xls
	Local authorities in England report the numbers of households on their housing waiting list as at 1 April in their annual Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix returns. Hemel Hempstead is included under Dacorum district council. The number of households on local authorities' waiting lists in Hertfordshire and Dacorum is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of households on the council house waiting list (excludes households looking for transfers) 
			   April 
			   1998  2003  2008 
			 Dacorum 3,274 3,465 4,794 
			 Hertfordshire 18,601 19,677 26,891 
			  Source:  Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA). 
		
	
	Further information on the number of households on the local authority housing waiting lists for England, can be found in the statistical release "Local Authority Housing Statistics England: 2007-08: Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) and Business Plan Statistical Appendix (BPSA)" This was published on 22 January 2009 on the Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/lahousing200708
	Copies of the statistical release and live table have been deposited in the Library.
	The accuracy of the local authority housing waiting list depends on the extent to which housing authorities keep the register up-to-date, e.g. some households might already have found housing, yet remain on the list. It is also important to bear in mind that not everyone on the waiting list will necessarily be in urgent housing need. It will also include those who consider social housing as their preferred choice, or one of a number of housing options, and those who decide to get onto the waiting list ladder before they need or want to move house—particularly where the priority system is heavily based on waiting time.

Council Housing: Lambeth

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions the Minister for Housing has had with Lambeth Council on rent increases from 1 April 2009.

Iain Wright: No such discussions have taken place. Communities and Local Government issued rent guidelines for each council within the Housing Revenue Account Determination on 18 December. Councils have the discretion to set their own rent levels. They are not set by central Government.

Council Housing: Rents

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will estimate the effect on the change in the level of rents in each local housing authority in 2009-10 if the relevant month for the purpose of including inflation in her Department's guideline rent increase was  (a) October,  (b) November and  (c) December 2008.

Iain Wright: No. Decisions on rent levels are a matter for each local housing authority.
	The national average guideline rent increase within the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) subsidy determination for 2009-10, consulted upon in October and issued on 18 December 2008, was based upon Government policy for social rents and on information available at the time, with full consideration of affordability for tenants. It would not be appropriate to estimate in retrospect the possible impact of changing inflation rates on individual guideline rents for local authorities.

Council Tax: Second Homes

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what percentage of houses were registered as second homes for council tax purposes in each county in each year since 1997.

Iain Wright: Details of the number of properties registered as second homes for council tax purposes, and the percentage of the total number of homes this represents, in each county in England since 2004 are given in the following table. Information for previous years is not available.
	
		
			   November 2004  October 2005  October 2006  October 2007  October 2008 
			   Second homes  Percentage  of total  Second homes  Percentage  of total  Second homes  Percentage  of total  Second homes  Percentage  of total  Second homes  Percentage  of total 
			 Bedfordshire 461 0.3 527 0.3 812 0.5 720 0.4 732 0.4 
			 Buckinghamshire 1,028 0.5 978 0.5 995 0.5 1,014 0.5 1,078 0.5 
			 Cambridgeshire 2,163 0.9 2,240 0.9 2,072 0.8 2.043 0.8 2,064 0.8 
			 Cheshire 1.548 0.5 1,760 0.6 2,122 0.7 2,543 0.8 2.595 0.8 
			 Cornwall 13,509 5.7 13,221 5.6 13,040 5.4 13,201 5.4 13,603 5.5 
			 Cumbria 7,865 3.4 7,906 3.4 8,372 3.6 8,084 3.4 8,196 3.5 
			 Derbyshire 1,792 0.5 1,759 0.5 1.794 0.5 1,733 0.5 1,896 0.6 
			 Devon 12,191 3.7 12,015 3.6 11,550 3.5 11,233 3.3 11,214 3.3 
			 Dorset 6,178 3.3 6,385 3.4 6.342 3.4 6,257 3.3 6,439 3.4 
			 Durham 651 0.3 799 0.4 615 0.3 707 0.3 700 0.3 
			 East Sussex 5,049 2.2 4,969 2.1 4,834 2.1 4,749 2.0 4,730 2.0 
			 Essex 4,429 0.8 4,279 0.7 4,585 0.8 4,621 0.8 4.458 0.8 
			 Gloucestershire 3,124 1.2 3,049 1.2 3,040 1.2 3,133 1.2 3,200 1.2 
			 Hampshire 4,311 0.8 4,603 0.9 4,430 0.8 4,436 0.8 4,581 0.8 
			 Hertfordshire 2,123 0.5 2,493 0.6 2,433 0.5 2,509 0.6 2,611 0.6 
			 Kent 7,192 1.2 6.672 1.1 6,466 1.1 6,255 1.0 8,287 1.3 
			 Lancashire 2,799 0.6 3,098 0.6 2,861 0.6 2,795 0.5 2,799 0.5 
			 Leicestershire 1,038 0.4 1,273 0.5 1,585 0.6 1,501 0.6 1,387 0.5 
			 Lincolnshire 2.942 1.0 3,103 1.0 2,952 1.0 2.649 0.9 Z627 0.8 
			 Norfolk 11,444 3.0 11,857 3.1 11,776 3.1 11,686 3.0 11,933 3 1 
			 North Yorkshire 6,690 2.6 7,024 2.7 7,057 2.7 7,055 2.6 7,390 2.7 
			 Northamptonshire 1.196 0.4 1,087 0.4 1,084 0.4 1,057 0.4 1,071 0.4 
			 Northumberland 2,766 2.0 2,805 2.0 2,798 2.0 2,767 1.9 2,887 2.0 
			 Nottinghamshire 888 0.3 1,152 0.3 1,234 0.4 1,250 0.4 1,326 0.4 
			 Oxfordshire 3,062 1.2 3.035 1.2 3,106 1.2 3,382 1.3 3.201 1.2 
			 Shropshire 1,206 1.0 1,246 1.0 1,229 1.0 1,194 0.9 1,207 0.9 
			 Somerset 3,007 1.3 2,973 1.3 2,925 1.3 2,820 1.2 2.858 1.2 
			 Staffordshire 654 0.2 695 0.2 685 0.2 682 0.2 695 0,2 
			 Suffolk 5,443 1.8 5,414 1.8 5,337 1.7 5,387 1.7 5,455 1.7 
			 Surrey 3,534 0.8 4,090 0.9 3,623 0.8 3,424 0.7 3,574 0.8 
			 Warwickshire 981 0.4 997 0.4 1,747 0.8 1,846 0.8 1,831 0.8 
			 West Sussex 5,756 1.7 6,266 1.8 6,241 1.8 6.118 1.8 6,204 1.8 
			 Wiltshire 1,835 1.0 1,983 1.0 2,199 1.1 2,161 1.1 2,139 1.1 
			 Worcestershire 1,444 0.6 1,359 0.6 1,338 0.6 1,328 0.5 1,389 0.6 
			 Total 130,299 1.3 133,112 1.3 133,279 1.3 132,340 1.3 136.357 1.3 
		
	
	The data are from a snapshot taken each year and are as recorded by each local authority in Council Tax Base returns submitted annually.

Departmental Databases

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost of maintaining the databases owned and managed by  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies was in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007 and (iii) 2008.

Sadiq Khan: A full answer to the question could be given only at disproportionate cost. However I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 2 November 2006,  Official Report, column 619W.

Empty Dwelling Management Orders

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many empty dwelling management orders have been issued since the Housing Act 2004 came into force.

Iain Wright: To date, 17 Interim Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMOs) have been approved by the Residential Property Tribunal Service (RPTS) since the legislation came into effect in April 2006. However, local authorities claim that in many cases the threat of an EDMO has been sufficient to make owners take action to bring long-term empty homes back into use.
	We are confident that the legislation is beginning to work well. We always intended that the legislation should be used only as a last resort where other measures have proved unsuccessful. We want to encourage voluntary re-occupation of empty homes but this can only work well where there is realistic compulsion to back them up. EDMOs provide this compulsion and should therefore be a key component of a comprehensive empty property strategy.
	We are keen for local authorities to make use of EDMOs, where appropriate, and are supporting the independent Empty Homes Agency's new guidance on EDMOs. The guidance, which is currently being tested, is internet based and interactive and will take local authorities through the EDMO process step by step. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning is providing a foreword for the guidance.
	We are also hosting a seminar at which I will address local authorities encouraging them to take action and to share best practice on tackling empty homes, including the use of EDMOs.

Homelessness

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people who applied to local authorities for housing have been assessed under homelessness criteria as priority need in the last  (a) six months,  (b) 12 months and  (c) two years; and how many of those applicants were (i) ex-service personnel, (ii) ex-prisoners and (iii) asylum seekers.

Sadiq Khan: Information about English local housing authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation (Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected quarterly at local authority level. Data collected include the number of applicants accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty (to secure that suitable accommodation is available). These households are known as 'accepted' households.
	In addition, some applicants may be found to be in priority need, but are not accepted as owed a main homelessness duty because they were found to be intentionally homeless. For these cases we do not hold the reason for priority need centrally.
	During the last six months for which data are available (April to September 2008), 34,640 applicants were assessed as being homeless and in priority need. 30,020 of these were accepted as owed a main homelessness duty, of which 20 were vulnerable through having previously served in HM forces, 140 through having previously been on remand or in custody, and 40 through having previously been an asylum seeker (note that since April 2000, asylum seekers have been ineligible for assistance under the homelessness legislation, with certain exceptions where an asylum claim had been made prior to 3 April 2000).
	The following table summarises the data for the most recent six months, and also shows figures for the most recent 12-month and two-year period:
	
		
			   (a) April to September 2008 (last 6 months)  (b) Oct ober  2007 to September 2008 (12 months)  (c) October 2006 to September 2008 (2 years) 
			 Applicants found to be homeless and in priority need 34,640 69,900 147,170 
			  Of which : accepted as owed a main homelessness duty 30,020 60,690 127,730 
			  Of which : applicant vulnerable as a result of:
			 (i) having served in HM Forces 20 40 80 
			 (ii) having previously been on remand or in custody 140 270 630 
			 (iii) being a former asylum seeker 40 100 220 
		
	
	However it is important to note that some applicants who had previously been in the HM forces, on remand or in custody, or are a former asylum seeker, may have been accepted with alternative primary priority needs (for example through having dependent children or being a pregnant woman) and so will not be shown as being priority need for these reasons.

Homelessness: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many applications for housing assistance under homelessness legislation were made in  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex in each of the last five years.

Iain Wright: Information about local authorities' actions under homelessness legislation is collected by the Department. Authorities provide data on the number of applications for housing assistance (including those by ineligible households), as well as the number of households who are accepted by local authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty.
	Figures are collected at local authority level. The following table shows the number of applicants who have applied for housing assistance in each local authority within East Sussex (which includes Eastbourne).
	
		
			  Applications for housing assistance under homelessness legislation in local authorities within East Sussex (including ineligible households), 2003-04 to 2007-08 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Eastbourne 524 331 424 374 384 
			 Hastings 1,101 943 690 546 287 
			 Lewes 365 202 106 120 125 
			 Rother (1)— 437 172 127 139 
			 Wealden 491 418 404 226 176 
			 (1) Data not reported by local authority

Homelessness: Hampshire

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many applications for housing assistance under homelessness legislation were made in  (a) Winchester and  (b) Hampshire in each of the last five years.

Iain Wright: Information about local housing authorities' actions under homelessness legislation is collected by the Department. Authorities provide data on the number of applications for housing assistance (including those by ineligible households), as well as the number of households who are accepted by local authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty.
	Figures are collected at local authority level. The following table shows the number of applicants who have applied for housing assistance in each local authority within the county of Hampshire (which includes Winchester).
	
		
			  Applications for housing assistance under homelessness legislation in local authorities within Hampshire (including ineligible households), 2003-04 to 2007-08 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Basingstoke and Deane 194 187 166 135 54 
			 East Hampshire 480 460 259 193 80 
			 Eastleigh 376 232 175 127 123 
			 Fareham 443 195 177 82 68 
			 Gosport 677 578 359 286 192 
			 Hart 89 113 (1)— 16 12 
			 Havant 736 741 816 769 672 
			 New Forest 244 134 155 188 179 
			 Rushmoor 210 130 44 51 40 
			 Test Valley 233 196 135 50 30 
			 Winchester 145 71 (1)— 47 46 
			 Hampshire (administrative) 3,827 3,037 (1)— 1,944 1,496 
			   
			 Portsmouth UA 2,040 1,467 954 470 456 
			 Southampton UA 1,089 829 705 450 265 
			 (1) Data not reported

Homelessness: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households in York were accepted as statutorily homeless in each of the last 15 years.

Iain Wright: Information about English local authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation (Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected quarterly at local authority level. Data collected include the number of households accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty (to secure that suitable accommodation is available). If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority must secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available.
	A summary table which includes the total number of households accepted as owed a main homelessness duty in each year between 1997-98 and 2007-08, for each local authority, including York, was provided in response to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for West Suffolk (Mr. Spring) on 26 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 1499-1500W, and placed in the Library. Figures for York are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Households accepted as owed a main homelessness duty in York local authority,1997-98 to 2007-08 
			   Number 
			 1997-98 280 
			 1998-99 (1)— 
			 1999-2000 282 
			 2000-01 499 
			 2001-02 418 
			 2002-03 409 
			 2003-04 460 
			 2004-05 424 
			 2005-06 414 
			 2006-07 213 
			 2007-08 258 
			 (1) Denotes data not reported. 
		
	
	Acceptance data at local authority level prior to 1997-98 are not held electronically.

Housing: Braintree

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans have been made for the  (a) provision and  (b) development of affordable housing in Braintree.

Iain Wright: Braintree district council is part of the Greater Haven Gateway sub-region which has an indicative allocation for the period 2008-11 of £76.8 million. For the period up to 31 December 2008 the homes and communities agency has allocated Braintree district council a grant of £3.49 million which will deliver 86 units for rent and 16 units for sale.

Housing: Low Incomes

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to increase  (a) the supply of and  (b) access to affordable housing in rural areas in the North East.

Iain Wright: The Homes and Communities Agency has been set a national target to provide 10,300 affordable homes in smaller rural communities from 2008-11 for both social rent and low cost home ownership. Grant from the £8 billion National Affordable Housing Programme is allocated through a competitive bidding process based on four main criteria: deliverability, quality, value for money and fit with national, regional and local priorities.
	A number of rural communities in the North East will be supported through the Homes and Communities Agency's investment in North East former Coalfields areas.
	The Government are committed to helping the development of a viable, well managed and financially robust Community Land Trust sector. Community Land Trusts have the potential to get the weight of the community behind the development of affordable housing and bring forward land for development, particularly in rural areas. We recently published a consultation on the development of a viable Community Land Trust sector and we have received 63 responses from a wide range of stakeholders which we are currently analysing. We will publish the results in the near future.
	The Homes and Communities Agency has built links with the Community Land Trust movement in the North East and aims to deliver more new rural housing through this route.
	Access to social rented housing is determined by the allocations legislation. This is designed to ensure the widest possible access while ensuring that priority goes to those people who are in the greatest housing need. Access to low cost home ownership schemes funded through the Affordable Housing Programme is open to first time buyers with an annual household income of £60,000 or less who are unable to buy a home in the market.
	The Prime Minister commissioned a report from the hon. Member for Truro and St. Austell (Matthew Taylor) who has been looking at how land use and planning can better support rural business and deliver affordable housing in rural communities. His report, published in July 2008, provides a comprehensive review of the issues that our rural communities face, including access to affordable housing, and provides a number of practical recommendations. We are looking at the report in detail and will publish a full response shortly.

Housing: Standards

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what proportion of properties  (a) in the private rented sector and  (b) under owner occupation in each (i) region and (ii) London local authority area are deemed to be below the Decent Homes standard.

Iain Wright: The English House Condition survey provides national estimates of the number and proportion of homes below the Decent Homes standard in each of the main tenures.
	The survey can provide estimates for each tenure only by grouped regions. The number and proportion of private rented and owner occupied homes assessed to be below the Decent Homes standard by the English House Condition survey are provided for three regional groups by averaging three years of survey data (2005-06 to 2007-08) to establish reasonably robust results for each tenure in Table 1 as follows. Taking into account margins of error associated with the sample survey, the table indicates.
	For the private rented sector, south east regions (London and South East regions combined) have below average proportions of non-decent homes, but there is no significant difference between other regional groups and the national average for this sector.
	For the owner occupied sector, there is no significant difference between any of the regional groups and the national average for this sector.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number and percentage of privately rented and owner-occupied homes that are non- decent by regional group, 2006 
			   Number ( Thousand )  Percentage of regional group 
			  Private rented   
			 Northern regions 329 51.0 
			 South east regions 426 40.5 
			 Rest of England 480 49.1 
			 All regions 1,235 46.2 
			
			  Owner occupied   
			 Northern regions 1,589 35.3 
			 South east regions 1,480 33.0 
			 Rest of England 2,248 34.5 
			 All regions 5,317 34.3 
			  Regional groups: Northern regions include North West, North East and Yorkshire and the Humber; south east regions include London and South East; rest of England includes East of England, East Midlands, West Midlands and South West.  Note: Results are based on data collected from March 2005 to April 2008. They are based on the updated definition of the Decent Homes standard which incorporates the Housing Health and Safety Rating System as its statutory criterion.  Source: 2005-06 to 2007-08 English House Condition Surveys. 
		
	
	Information for London local authorities is not available.

Housing: Students

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many bed spaces have been completed in purpose-built communal housing for students and key workers in each local planning authority area since 2004; and what assessment her Department has made of the effects of such accommodation on local housing markets.

Iain Wright: This information is not held centrally.

Mobile Homes

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many residential park homes there are on licensed park home sites in  (a) St Ives constituency,  (b) Cornwall and  (c) England;
	(2)  how many licensed sites for park homes are registered in  (a) St Ives constituency,  (b) Cornwall and  (c) England.

Iain Wright: The Department does not routinely collect statistics on the number of park homes or the number of park home sites. However, an ad hoc survey of local authorities in England carried out in 2006 suggested the following:
	
		
			   Approximate number of residential park home sites  Approximate number of residential park homes 
			 Constituency of St. Ives 30 856 
			 Cornwall 86 4,102 
			 England 1795 83,753

Property Development: Floods

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what analysis she plans to undertake of the 16 recent planning applications on which the Environment Agency advised against proceeding but which went ahead on flood plains under Planning Policy Statement 25; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: We continue to work closely with the Environment Agency, local authorities and other stakeholders to ensure our policies in Planning Policy Statement 25 (PPS25), "Development and Flood Risk", are delivered on the ground. The Environment Agency's latest annual 'Development and Flood Risk' report, produced jointly with local government, sets out how the Agency's technical advice was taken into account in local authority planning decisions during the period April 2007 to March 2008. The report lists 16 'major developments' (residential development of 10 dwellings or more, or other new building of 1,000 square meters or more) that were granted planning permission against Agency advice on flood risk. The report notes that six of the cases were in areas of high flood risk but that in eight cases the developments were located in areas with a low risk of flooding. The report sets out the Agency's advice and how the relevant local authority responded.

Rented Housing: Regulation

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will establish an independent watchdog for tenants renting managed properties via letting agencies.

Iain Wright: Last year the Government commissioned an independent review of the private rented sector from Julie Rugg and David Rhodes of the centre for housing policy in the university of York. The review reported in October 2008. As part of its proposals to improve quality and professionalism within the sector, it recommended that letting and managing agents should be subject to mandatory, independently-led regulation. Such a regime would include independent redress for consumers and policing of the sector. We are currently considering the proposals in the review with key stakeholders and will be responding formally later this year.

Rented Housing: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much has been spent on building and repairing  (a) council and  (b) housing association homes in City of York constituency in each year since the creation of the unitary authority.

Iain Wright: The following table shows the grant funding through the Homes and Communities Agency's Affordable Housing Programme in each financial year by registered social landlords (RSLs) in the City of York local authority area on the provision of affordable housing. This includes both new build and acquisition and refurbishment. This does not include expenditure that RSLs may have invested through their own resources.
	
		
			   £ million 
			 1997-98 1.28 
			 1998-99 1.71 
			 1999-2000 1.31 
			 2000-01 2.50 
			 2001-02 2.15 
			 2002-03 1.51 
			 2003-04 2.77 
			 2004-05 3.29 
			 2005-06 1.04 
			 2006-07 1.12 
			 2007-08 2.86 
			  Source: Homes and Communities Agency. 
		
	
	RSLs as independent private organisations are responsible for the maintenance of their properties. Information on the spend by RSLs on maintenance of their stock in the City of York local authority is not held centrally.
	Data on the cost of building council homes are not collected but no new council homes have built in the City of York since 1996. Capital spend on council housing stock is captured from the Business Plan Statistical Appendix. These data have been collected only since 2001.
	
		
			  Capital expenditure on Housing Revenue Account stock in the City of York 
			   £000 
			 2001-02 4,318 
			 2002-03 4,364 
			 2003-04 5,491 
			 2004-05 5,683 
			 2005-06 5,981 
			 2006-07 7,332 
			 2007-08 6,378 
			 Total since 2001 39,547

Rents: Wimbledon

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the change in rental rates for  (a) business and  (b) council tenants in Wimbledon constituency arising from her Department's decisions on the rental increase formula for 2008-09.

Iain Wright: No estimate has been made. Local authority rents are set by the councils themselves, not central Government. We do not estimate rent increases that might be made by individual councils.
	The guideline rent formula used in the housing revenue account subsidy determination does not impact upon business rents.

Rough Sleepers: Eastbourne

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many rough sleepers there were estimated to be in Eastbourne in each year since 1990.

Iain Wright: Annual rough sleeping figures for Eastbourne have been collected since 1998. The figures are based on local authority street counts and estimates where a street count did not take place.
	
		
			  Rough sleepers in Eastbourne 
			   Number 
			 1998 11 
			 1999 3 
			 2000 1 
			 2001 0 
			 2002 0 
			 2003 0 
			 2004 3 
			 2005 3 
			 2006 6 
			 2007 6 
			 2008 0

Rough Sleepers: Hampshire

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many rough sleepers there were estimated to be in Winchester in each of the last five years.

Iain Wright: Annual rough sleeping figures are based on local authority street counts and estimates where a street count did not take place.
	Number of rough sleepers in Winchester:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2004 1 
			 2005 0 
			 2006 0 
			 2007 0 
			 2008 0

Social Rented Housing

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many social housing tenants received payments under cash incentive schemes in each  (a) English region and  (b) London local authority area in each year since 1990.

Iain Wright: The Department for Communities and Local Government collects information from local authorities on cash incentive schemes intended to support social tenants who wish to buy property in the private sector, releasing social housing for other households in need. Figures are only available from 1997-98 onwards.
	The total number of grants given in each English region is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Total number of cash incentive scheme grants 
			  Region  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 North East 71 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North West 474 256 15 126 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 130 100 18 6 3 0 1 0 12 8 8 
			 East Midlands 283 280 177 12 3 6 5 0 2 15 6 
			 West Midlands 389 222 52 35 83 34 29 27 31 27 7 
			 East of England 483 297 120 89 91 53 89 57 55 77 50 
			 London 2105 1418 630 403 382 386 425 345 365 373 493 
			 South East 611 376 195 95 65 53 30 16 34 17 22 
			 South West 346 292 94 61 43 39 32 30 58 63 30 
			 ENGLAND 4892 3258 1301 827 670 571 611 475 557 580 616 
			  Source:  HSSA (2001-02-present), HIP Annual Plan (1997-98-2000-01) as reported by local authorities 
		
	
	The total number of grants given in each London local authority is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Total number of cash incentive scheme grants 
			  London local authority  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Barking and Dagenham 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Barnet 53 34 23 31 32 36 33 30 30 18 21 
			 Bexley 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Brent 68 46 0 0 0 31 32 11 0 0 0 
			 Bromley 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Camden 28 15 10 50 33 20 13 19 14 9 3 
			 City of London 13 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 4 0 
			 Croydon 162 156 135 44 49 48 46 27 48 51 43 
			 Ealing 95 48 3 0 0 0 36 13 31 10 1 
			 Enfield 91 68 53 41 49 31 37 21 46 28 28 
			 Greenwich 74 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Hackney 158 105 0 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 241 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 50 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 
			 Haringey 84 68 16 25 18 21 28 24 0 18 0 
			 Harrow 45 22 14 10 1 0 0 23 30 32 16 
			 Havering 35 18 132 4 12 9 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Hillingdon 52 31 36 20 16 19 21 9 12 12 3 
			 Hounslow 89 45 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Islington 96 79 0 0 7 9 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 28 9 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Kingston upon Thames 29 24 18 14 16 17 8 8 11 15 19 
			 Lambeth 0 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 24 
			 Lewisham 31 13 0 13 34 27 35 24 29 34 15 
			 Merton 42 21 9 10 9 9 6 7 0 0 0 
			 Newham 113 73 22 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Redbridge 14 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 
			 Richmond upon Thames 70 57 24 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Southwark 224 171 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Sutton 38 12 9 7 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Tower Hamlets 118 84 46 36 36 56 71 62 56 27 14 
			 Waltham Forest 52 43 23 21 19 6 9 8 5 4 0 
			 Wandsworth 88 86 38 42 35 32 35 42 32 31 30 
			 Westminster 48 32 16 23 15 15 14 16 17 80 26 
			 LONDON 2105 1418 630 403 382 386 425 345 365 373 493 
			  Source: HSSA (2001-02-present), HIP Annual Plan (1997-98-2000-01) as reported by local authorities 
		
	
	No figures are collected centrally on schemes providing incentives for social tenants to move to smaller socially-rented properties.

Social Rented Housing: Standards

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of social housing in  (a) London,  (b) Birmingham,  (c) Liverpool,  (d) Leeds,  (e) Sheffield,  (f) Bristol,  (g) Manchester,  (h) Leicester,  (i) Coventry,  (j) Kingston upon Hull,  (k) Bradford,  (l) Stoke-on-Trent,  (m) Wolverhampton,  (n) Nottingham,  (o) Plymouth,  (p) Southampton,  (q) Reading,  (r) Derby,  (s) Dudley and  (t) Newcastle upon Tyne (i) met the decent home standard (A) in December 2007 and (B) in December 2008 and (ii) is expected to meet the standard by 2010.

Iain Wright: The following table provides the information requested. This is drawn from the Business Plan Statistical Appendix—Annual Monitoring data from Local Authorities for 2007-08 published by CLG last month. The RSL data is from the Regulatory Statistical Return (RSR) for 2007-08 published by the Housing Corporation (now Tenant Services Authority) last autumn.
	
		
			  Percentage of Social Housing meeting the Decent Homes Standard 
			   Local authorities  RSLs 
			   2007  2008  2010  2007  2008 
			 Birmingham 65 78 100 90 93 
			 Bradford (1)— (1)— (1)— 84 89 
			 Bristol 86 88 97 90 92 
			 Coventry (1)— (1)— (1)— 94 95 
			 Derby 99 100 100 84 90 
			 Dudley 83 86 97 98 99 
			 Kingston-upon-Hull 35 50 81 97 95 
			 Leeds 65 68 98 92 94 
			 Leicester 85 91 97 92 92 
			 Liverpool (1)— (1)— (1)— 86 77 
			 London 65 69 83 89 90 
			 Manchester 32 46 81 82 81 
			 Newcastle-upon-Tyne 10 30 74 92 93 
			 Nottingham 65 69 69 92 95 
			 Plymouth(2) 50 44 15 95 90 
			 Reading 88 91 97 92 96 
			 Sheffield 48 66 92 85 80 
			 Southampton 75 81 96 94 98 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 75 78 93 94 96 
			 Wolverhampton 43 55 73 91 95 
			 (1) No current stock. (2) Housing transfer to new RSL November 2009. 
		
	
	Decent Homes forecasts by local authority for registered social landlords' property is not available.

Social Rented Housing: Sustainable Development

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many social rented homes she expects to be built in  (a) 2009 and  (b) 2010; and to what level under the Code for Sustainable Homes she expects such homes to be built.

Iain Wright: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 20 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 1278-79W, to the hon. Member for Solihull (Lorely Burt).

Standards of Living

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the 10 per cent.  (a) most and  (b) least deprived lower level super output areas are in (i) London and (ii) Sutton and Cheam constituency.

John Healey: A table that lists the most deprived 10 per cent. and the least deprived 10 per cent. Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs) in London has been placed in the Library of the House. This table also lists the 10 per cent. most and least deprived LSOAs in the parliamentary constituency of Sutton and Cheam.

Supporting People Programme: Learning Disability

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to her answers of 2 April 2008,  Official Report, column 1902W, on supporting people programme: learning disability, and 3 April 2008,  Official Report, column 1306W, on learning disability: adults, what proportion of the supporting people budget has been allocated to people with learning disabilities in each of the last five years.

Iain Wright: The Supporting People programme is administered at the local level by the relevant administering authority. It is for the authority to decide which services to fund, informed by the local needs and priorities identified in their five year Supporting People Strategies. The following table sets out the amount spent on Supporting People services for people with a learning disability, as reported to the Department by administering authorities. It will not identify all funding spent on people with a learning disability who access Supporting People services: some may have a different service classification (for example, people with a learning disability may access support from Supporting People services that help them move on from domestic violence or homelessness).
	
		
			   Spend reported on services for people with a learning disability (£)  Proportion of the total reported spend (percentage) 
			 2003-04 426,362,116 23.5 
			 2004-05 396,596,732 23.4 
			 2005-06 388,760,777 23.1 
			 2006-07 367,435,288 22.4 
			 2007-08 346,626,291 21.3

Theology Board of Muslim Scholars

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government who has been appointed to the Theology Board of Muslim Scholars; how many workshops the board has held; and when she expects the Board to publish its recommendations to the Government.

Sadiq Khan: This initiative is now called the 'Contextualising Islam in Britain' project. Cambridge university, with participation from the universities of Exeter, Glasgow and Westminster are hosting a series of independent symposia to engage in academic debate and discussion about Islam in a British context. As the project is being delivered through a series of seminars, contributors are being invited by Cambridge according to their specific expertise and views. There are no formal appointments being made, and it is for Cambridge university to decide on who should contribute to the symposia.
	The discussions and debates hosted by Cambridge will be captured in a report and published by Cambridge university in summer 2009.

Travelling People

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Shipley of 22 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1098W, on Travelling people, what  (a) financial and  (b) other support her Department has given to developing services for Gypsies and Travellers in each year since 2005.

Iain Wright: The Department for Communities and Local Government has given no financial or logistical support to an annual conference called Developing Services for Gypsies and Travellers. An annual conference on this topic is arranged by the private sector and Ministers and officials have supported it by attending as speakers.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Subsidies

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of the potential taxpayer liability for  (a) fines disallowance and  (b) other penalties as a result of late payment under the single farm payment scheme and other precursor common agricultural schemes since 1997;
	(2)  what  (a) fines,  (b) disallowance and  (c) other penalties the Government has incurred as a result of late payments under the single payment scheme and other precursor common agricultural schemes since 1997; and from which budget each penalty was paid.

Jane Kennedy: DEFRA financial corrections incurred as a result of late payments on the single payment and other common agricultural policy schemes have been £144.8 million since 1999. This is based on EU Commission Ad Hoc Decisions from February 1999 to November 2008.
	To analyse the data prior to February 1999 would involve a disproportionate cost.
	These corrections have been met from a separate ring fenced disallowance budget.
	It is not possible at this stage to say what further decisions may be published this year.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what recent steps the Government has taken to assist arable farmers;
	(2)  what recent steps the Government has taken to assist livestock farmers.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 23 February 2009
	 The Government's wider economic policies are aimed at assisting arable and livestock farmers emerge stronger from the global recession just as they are for other businesses.
	The Government also works closely with the arable and livestock sectors on sector specific issues to further our objective of a thriving farming and food sector with an improving net environmental impact. We are pressing the case here and in Europe for policies that are evidence based and take account of the principles of better regulation, such as in the case of the Commission's proposals on pesticides and electronic identification of sheep. We also strongly support the continued process of greater market orientation of the CAP and the recent health check agreement will contribute to improved competitiveness by further reducing trade distorting coupled payments and the regulatory burden on farmers.
	Over the last 12 months, the regional development agencies have begun delivering a £300 million programme of investment in improving the competitiveness of farming and forestry under the Rural Development Programme for England, of which at least £107 million will be targeted at the livestock sector to help it meet the particular challenges that it faces. The continued progress of the Rural Payments Agency in making more timely payments under the Single Payments Scheme has helped farmers' cash flow, with just under £1.37 billion in payments made by 16 February, equivalent to around 84 per cent. of the estimated total fund.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the ceiling is in each region for direct payments in  (a) pounds sterling and  (b) euros.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 23 February 2009
	 Under EU legislation (Article 8 of Council Regulation (EC) no. 73/2009) giving effect to the CAP Health Check agreement, ceilings are set for the amount of direct payments, net of modulation, that may be granted each year by member states. The ceiling for the UK for 2009 scheme payments is €3.3731 billion. The sterling equivalent will be determined by the last exchange rate set at the end of September 2009, but using the 2008 exchange rate (€1=£0.79030) it would be £2.6658 billion. No decisions have been taken to date on regional breakdowns.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many single farm payments which erroneously omitted  (a) protein crop premium,  (b) aid for energy crops and  (c) nut aid were made in (i) 2007 and (ii) 2008.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 23 February 2009
	974 Single Payment scheme (SPS) claimants received an SPS payment that initially omitted a protein crop premium, aid for energy crops or a nut aid payment in 2008. These cases were all fully validated at the point of payment but required additional action to enable the omitted payments to be made.
	The number of claims attributed to each omitted payment type are as follows:
	
		
			  Payment type  Number of claims 
			 Protein crop premium 825 
			 Aid for energy crops 128 
			 Nut aid 44 
			 Total 997 
		
	
	The figures include claims for which a combination of the three premium payment types were initially omitted.
	All of these cases have now been reviewed and top-up payments made in all cases where underpayments have been identified.
	The Rural Payments Agency is not aware of any similar issues resulting in the erroneous omission of protein crop premium, aid for energy crops or a nut aid payments for the 2007 scheme year.

Agriculture: Vocational Guidance

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government has taken to encourage young people into agricultural careers.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 23 February 2009
	 Fresh Start, an industry-led initiative supported by Government, helps train new entrants to the farming industry. There are 24 Fresh Start Academies, with more in the pipeline, focusing on developing business skills for new farmers.
	We are working with the National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs to provide training opportunities that enable members to learn an array of new skills to become successful farmers.
	Government supported the Year of Food and Farming in 2007-08 and are supporting the legacy campaign, Think Food and Farming. These schemes have helped children and young people learn about growing food, what happens on a farm, what life is like in the countryside and what the countryside can offer in terms of employment. Through agri-environmental schemes farmers receive approximately £1 million per year to provide educational visits to their farms from schools and other interest groups.
	From this September the new Diploma in Environmental and Land-based studies will be available to 14 to 19-year-olds to help them develop an understanding of these industries.

Agriculture: Waste Disposal

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department has spent on research into on-farm anaerobic digestion techniques in each of the last six years.

Jane Kennedy: DEFRA has spent £380,000 over the last six years on research into anaerobic digestion that addressed on-farm techniques, and their impacts on the environment and on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Angling

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the estimated size of the recreational fishing catch of each species was in the latest period for which information is available.

Huw Irranca-Davies: In 2007, anglers reported the capture of 19,884 salmon and 29,398 sea trout from rivers in England and Wales; many of these fish were released alive. There is no current requirement to report recreational catches for other freshwater or marine species, so it is not possible to estimate these reliably.
	From 2009, under EU regulation 199/2008 relating to data collection, the UK will be required to sample recreational catches of cod and eels in the North sea and bass and eels in western waters. Some estimate of the recreational catches of these species will therefore be possible for these areas in the future.

Birds of Prey: Genetics

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2008,  Official Report, column 34W, on birds of prey: genetics, in which scientific journal the final report on DNA profiling of birds of prey completed in November 2006 was published.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 23 February 2009
	An article based on the report and subsequent work was recently published in 'Forensic Science International: Genetics—An international journal dedicated to the application of genetics in the administration of justice'. The report can be found on the DEFRA website.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Deer

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department has spent on research for a vaccine for tuberculosis in deer in each of the last five years.

Jane Kennedy: No money has been spent on TB vaccine development for deer in the last five years. The vaccine research programme is currently focused on developing TB vaccines for cattle and badgers.

Common Agricultural Policy

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what the  (a) maximum,  (b) minimum and  (c) average value of claims made in England under the Common Agricultural Policy were in 2007;
	(2)  what the  (a) maximum,  (b) minimum and  (c) average value was of claims made in England under the Common Agricultural Policy in 2008.

Jane Kennedy: The 2007 scheme year value of payments made under the Common Agricultural Policy are:
	
		
			   £ 
			 Maximum 3,170,052.01 
			 Minimum 0.01 
			 Average 14,511.63 
		
	
	This information relates to the European financial year 2008, which is 16 October 2007 to 15 October 2008.
	Unfortunately the data required to provide payment information for earlier years is not held in a form that is easily accessible and it could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Buildings

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the  (a) display energy certificates and  (b) advisory reports for public buildings issued in respect of each property occupied by (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies.

Huw Irranca-Davies: My Department will place in the Library a copy of the display energy certificates and their associated advisory reports in respect of each property occupied by my Department and its agencies.

Departmental Consultants

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many expert advisers, excluding special advisers, have been commissioned by his Department since June 2007; and on which topics they have advised.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Department does not have a central list and to compile a list as requested would incur disproportionate cost.

Departmental Impact Assessments

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many equalities impact assessments his Department has undertaken in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such assessments.

Huw Irranca-Davies: In total we have published 37 completed equality impact assessments on our internet and intranet websites (25 of which were published in 2008). These are predominantly in relation to employment and organisational change as these were areas highlighted for priority action. Since the EqIA is integrated into our policy making process, it is not possible to estimate any additional cost.

Departmental Plants

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department has spent on  (a) pot plants and  (b) flowers in each of the last three years.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The total sum spent by DEFRA on internal and external planting for each of the three years are as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2005-06 21,009.90 
			 2006-07 27,844.42 
			 2007-08 31,017.53 
		
	
	These costs include internal and external planting. The nature of provision through the current FM contractor makes it difficult to separate internal planting from the overall costs. The costs also include provision of cut flowers on a weekly basis to Nobel House and 55 Whitehall.

Dogs

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent steps the Government has taken to support research into  (a) canine and  (b) feline illnesses.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 23 February 2009
	 In 2008-09 DEFRA has begun to co-fund (£2,500 p.a.) a consortium led by the University of Liverpool that will ultimately combine veterinary practice data from computerised clinical records and reports from some private veterinary laboratories to give a nationwide overview of diseases in companion animals. Although only recently initiated, this project is already piloting voluntary reporting from private veterinary laboratories, and plans to soon conduct real time surveillance of clinical conditions at veterinary practices using a particular suppliers software package.
	The Department also supports ongoing research with a total of approximately £1.4 million committed to the following projects:
	Antimicrobial use and carriage of antimicrobial-resistant Escherichia coli and staphylococci in dogs and horses in the community: molecular mechanisms of resistance and risk to humans.
	The epidemiology of Campylobacter infection in dogs in context of the risk of infection to humans.
	Incidence of, risk factors for, histological features of and protein expression patterns in injection site sarcomas in cats.
	The clinical treatment of pet dogs and antibiotic resistance in commensal and potentially pathogenic bacteria.

Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 14 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1049W, on domestic waste: waste disposal, if he will place in the Library a copy of the report on  (a) Project REDUCE,  (b) Understanding Household Waste Prevention Behaviour and  (c) Establishing the Behaviour Change Evidence Base.

Jane Kennedy: The following projects have been completed and the reports published via the DEFRA website:
	(WR0112) Understanding Household Waste Behaviour—University of Paisley
	(WR0504) Establishing the Behaviour Change Evidence Base to Inform Community-based Waste Prevention and Recycling—Brook Lyndhurst
	Output from the project (WR0105) Project REDUCE Monitoring and Evaluation: Developing Tools to Measure Waste Prevention—has been incorporated into the review study referred to in the response to the hon. Member for Peterborough (Mr. Jackson) on 14 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1050W, on Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal, and will be published later in 2009.

Electronic Tagging: Sheep

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent estimate he has made of the cost to farmers of the electronic tagging of sheep in line with EC proposals.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 23 February 2009
	 I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for East Devon (Mr. Swire) on 11 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 2030-31W.

Flood Control

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many flood warnings have been issued by the Environment Agency in each county of England and Wales in each of the last 10 years.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The following table shows the number of flood warnings issued by the Environment Agency in each of its regions from 2006. The warnings are defined as either flood watches, flood warnings or severe flood warnings dependent upon the likelihood of flooding occurring.
	
		
			  Environment Agency region  2006  2007  2008  2009  Total 
			  Flood warnings issued  
			 North West 25 24 85 8 142 
			 Midlands 44 214 244 6 508 
			 Anglian 13 196 108 60 377 
			 Thames 14 37 37 25 113 
			 Southern 6 13 59 38 116 
			 EA Wales 92 109 176 1 378 
			 South West 97 119 269 77 562 
			 North East 91 277 275 17 660 
			 Total 382 989 1,253 232 2,856 
			   
			  Severe flood warnings issued  
			 North West 0 0 2 0 2 
			 Midlands 1 22 5 0 28 
			 Anglian 0 25 5 1 31 
			 Thames 0 3 0 0 3 
			 Southern 0 0 1 0 1 
			 EA Wales 1 0 2 0 3 
			 South West 0 1 7 0 8 
			 North East 0 25 24 0 49 
			 Total 2 76 46 1 125 
		
	
	Before the Floodline Warnings Direct (FWD) system became operational in January 2006, flood warnings were sent out locally by Environment Agency offices. Information prior to 2006 is therefore not held centrally and cannot be collated without incurring disproportionate cost.
	Flood warning information is organised into operational areas based on water management catchments. The information above has therefore been organised by Environment Agency region.
	The numbers of flood warnings are dependent on the weather and the number of sites where warnings are issued. The Environment Agency is constantly adding new areas where a flood warning service is provided.

Flood Control

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress his Department has made in implementing the flood defence schemes brought forward under spending announced in the Pre-Budget Report.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The flood risk management schemes brought forward are in development and due to start from 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010. They will be completed over a number of years.

Flood Control

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how his Department calculated that 27,000 homes will receive protection from bringing forward spending on flood defences as part of the measures announced in the Pre-Budget Report.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The protection of an additional 27,405 homes through the accelerated programme is based on detailed local mapping and flood modelling.

Flood Control

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his latest estimate is of the number of posts in flood risk management in local authorities which are  (a) filled and  (b) vacant.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The information on vacancies in flood risk management within local authorities is not held centrally. This is because local authorities are independent autonomous bodies responsible for decisions on pay and work force issues.

Flood Control

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to amend his Department's policy in flood management expenditure areas where provision has been made in the past for land drainage and agriculture benefits.

Huw Irranca-Davies: My Department has no plans to amend policy for flood management expenditure which is specific to areas where provision has been made in the past for land drainage and agriculture benefits.

Flood Control

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding has been allocated by his Department to implementing the recommendations of Sir Michael Pitt's review of the summer 2007 floods.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Annex B of the Government's response to Sir Michael Pitt's review of the summer 2007 floods contains a complete breakdown of funding. The document can be viewed at:
	www.defra.gov.uk/environ/fcd/floods07/Govtresptopitt.pdf

Flood Control: Finance

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons  (a) the right for regional flood defence committees to decide spending priorities will be replaced by a national Government block grant which will decide which area is to receive funding for flood defence and  (b) the Environment Agency will decide nationally where such money is spent and which defences are of strategic priority.

Huw Irranca-Davies: DEFRA makes a national allocation of Flood Defence Grant in Aid, which the Environment Agency is then responsible for allocating to each of its Regional Flood Defence Committees.
	The allocation of funding is done on a national basis to ensure consistency and so that the available funding is used most effectively. Capital schemes are prioritised based on the practical consequences that will result from the flood defence measures they provide.

Flood Control: Finance

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department has spent on flood risk management plans  (a) in each year since 1997 and  (b) in 2008-09 to date; and how much was budgeted for such expenditure in each period.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Government are committed to effective management of flood and coastal erosion risk and some £4.5 billion has been invested across England in total since 1996-97.
	Spending across central and local government has increased from £307 million in 1996-97 to some £650 million this year and will increase to a total of £2.15 billion over the three years of the Spending Review.
	The following table shows past and expected future expenditure on flooding and coastal erosion risk management.
	Figures for 1996-07 to 2007-08 are actual figures based on outturns; figures for 2008-09 onwards are budgets or estimates.
	
		
			  £ million 
			  Financial year  DEFRA  funding  LA funding 
			 2010-11 (2)697 87 
			 2009-10 (2)633 87 
			 2008-09 563 87 
			 2007-08 507.5 (1)100.6 
			 2006-07 506.0 84.5 
			 2005-06 514.8 84.4 
			 2004-05 415.4 80.3 
			 2003-04 135.5 322 
			 2002-03 128.4 299.4 
			 2001-02 84.7 281.4 
			 2000-01 71.4 262.7 
			 1999-2000 75.5 246.6 
			 1998-99 78.3 233.2 
			 1997-98 87.1 223.3 
			 1996-97 101.9 205.2 
			 (1) Expenditure following the 2007 floods may explain why local authority spending was considerably higher in 2007-08 than in previous years. The figures for future local authority expenditure are as previously forecast, although it is for local authorities to decide how much to spend on flood risk management as budgets are not ring-fenced for the purpose. (2) As announced in the 2008 pre-Budget report, £20 million has been brought forward from 2010-11 into 2009-10 as part of the fiscal stimulation package. This reduces the 2010-11 budget from £804 million to £784 million, with 2009-10 increasing from £700 million to £720 million. 
		
	
	From 2004-05 the money previously given to LAs for expenditure on flood risk management was largely brought together to form a central grant to the Environment Agency.
	DEFRA flood and coastal erosion risk management budgets for the current year are on track and as forecast, subject to the recent bad weather.
	Figures on budgeted expenditure for each year from 1996-97 are not available without disproportionate cost.

Flood Control: Finance

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs over what period he expects funds allocated for response measures following the Pitt report on flooding to be spent.

Huw Irranca-Davies: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Vale of York (Miss McIntosh) on 13 January 2009,  Official Report, column 600W.

Floods

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he has any plans to establish a single telephone number for use by the public to report incidents of flooding and related concerns.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 23 February 2009
	 The Environment Agency operates a 24-hour freephone incident hotline service for the reporting of all environmental incidents including flooding. In addition the Environment Agency's Floodline service operates a 24-hour helpline providing information and general advice on flooding.

Floods: Canvey Island

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 27 January 2009,  Official Report, column 326W, on floods: Canvey Island, what representations the Environment Agency has received from  (a) local authorities and  (b) others on controls on development in flood risk areas of Canvey Island in the last three years; what discussions it has had on the matter in that period.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Environment Agency has had several meetings with Castlepoint district council in the last three years to discuss development on Canvey Island and explain the implications of planning policy statement 25 "Development and Flood Risk". The Environment Agency has sought safe development and advised Castlepoint district council and individual developers to take into account the potential impact of flooding on new development.

Landfill

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects current landfill sites in each region of England to be full.

Jane Kennedy: The Environment Agency estimated the remaining capacity at existing non-hazardous landfill sites in England at the end of 2007 as follows:
	
		
			  Region  Remaining capacity in years( 1) 
			 North East 7.6 
			 North West 5.0 
			 Yorks and Humber 12.5 
			 East Midlands 7.8 
			 West Midlands 10.8 
			 East of England 4.2 
			 London 3.0 
			 South East 5.1 
			 South West 6.2 
			 (1)Figures are in base 10

Landfill: EC Law

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what progress has been made in implementing the EU Landfill Directive; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what progress he has made on implementation of  (a) the EU Landfill Directive and  (b) the EU Packaging Directive; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The requirements of the Landfill Directive are now contained in the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2007. These requirements have been progressively implemented, with the final measure being introduced in October 2007.
	Separately from this the Waste and Emissions Trading Act 2003 implements Article 5(2) of the Landfill Directive, which requires member states to reduce the amount of biodegradable municipal waste sent to landfill.
	The UK has fully implemented the requirements of the EU packaging directive via the producer responsibility obligations (packaging waste) regulations and the essential requirements regulations.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects the Minister for Farming and the Environment to reply substantively to the letter of 14 October 2008 from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire on water rate charges for scout groups.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 12 February 2009
	I am very aware of the affordability issues faced by some customers, such as scout groups, following the switch to site area charging for surface water drainage by some companies.
	Our view is that while the basic polluter pays principle of the guidance is correct, something is clearly very wrong if faith buildings, community amateur sports clubs and scout huts are facing such big increases in their bills, and where there are such marked variations between what is being charged in different areas, by different companies.
	Under the powers enshrined in the Water Industry Act 1999, in 2000 the Government issued statutory guidance to Ofwat on water charging policy. Ofwat's subsequent and more detailed guidance to companies on surface water drainage charging was issued in 2003. Both of these documents addressed the issues surrounding the scale and pace of surface water bill changes for non-domestic, non-business customers and the need for charges to be based only upon the actual area within a property that drains to the public sewer.
	We understand that the highest price increases are occurring in the United Utilities area, and that United Utilities now proposes to set its surface water drainage charges for 2009-10 at 2007-08 levels for customers such as faith buildings, community amateur sports clubs and scout huts (i.e. at levels prior to the introduction of site area charging). This is a very welcome step forward although we will continue to monitor this issue and engage further with Ofwat if necessary.

Members: Correspondence

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when a reply will be sent to the letter from the right hon. Member for West Derbyshire of 15 August 2008 on water drainage charges for non-profit organisations.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 23 February 2009
	A reply was sent to the right hon. Member on 16 February 2009.

Nature Conservation

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many wildlife species in England were classified as at risk in each of the last 10 years.

Huw Irranca-Davies: 'At risk' is not an official threat category for species either internationally or within England. The Government does, however, maintain a list of species of principal importance for the conservation of biological diversity in England under section 41 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006.
	The species on the section 41 list are almost entirely the English components of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority species, which were selected using criteria based on international importance, rapid decline and high risk. From 1999 to 2008, the section 41 list contained 473 species. In 2008 it was revised and now contains 943 species.

Pesticides: EC Law

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the effect on the farming industry's revenue of the introduction of the EU Pesticides Directive.

Huw Irranca-Davies: An economic assessment of restrictions included in the proposed regulation on the authorisation of pesticides was published last year by Sean Rickard, Senior Lecturer in Business Economics at Cranfield University School of Management, and is available at the Cranfield University website.

Public Consultation

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will list all consultations initiated by  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies since 1 January 2008, including the dates given for responses and the intended dates for report.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 23 February 2009
	A total of 86 consultations were carried out by DEFRA since 1 January 2008. Records are held on the start and end dates of consultations, but not the intended dates for reports (see following table). DEFRA does not co-ordinate consultations for its executive agencies, therefore information on these consultations is not held.
	A full list is held on the Department's website:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/default.asp
	
		
			  Start date  End date  Consultation title 
			 9 January 2008 17 January and 29 February 2008 —two dates Consultation on proposal of 2 per cent. milk quotas 
			 14 January 31 March 2008 Consultation on national listing and plant breeders' Right fees 
			 7 February 30 April 2008 Consultation on surface water management 
			 7 February 30 April 2008 Consultation on guidance to Ofwat 
			 7 February 30 April 2008 Consultation on phosphates in detergents—laundry 
			 17 January 8 April Consultation on mining waste directive (CLG-led) 
			 21 January 14 April Consultation on sustainable products (market transformation programme website) 
			 4 February 6 May 2008 Consultation on charging for CITES licences 
			 30 January 2008 29 April 2008 Consultation on the future of the aggregates levy sustainability fund April 2008 to March 2011 
			 25 February 19 May 2008 Consultation on river basin planning (volume) 
			 27 February 2008 19 May 2008 Consultation on the transposition of Council Directive 2006/117/Euratom 
			 29 February 2008 23 May 2008 Consultation on implementation of fruit and vegetable reforms 
			 29 February 2008 27 May 2008 Consultation on environmental liability directive: 2nd consultation 
			 7 March 2008 4 April Consultation on European Fisheries Fund: UK operational programme (1st phase) 
			 7 March 2008 18 April Consultation on Fal and Helford 
			 March 2008 30 May Consultation on statutory notification requirements for potatoes introduced into England and Wales from other EU member states 
			 17 March 2008 9 June Consultation on joint waste authorities 
			 18 March 2008 29 April Consultation on Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007; Directive 2004/12/EC (amending Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste) 
			 20 March 25 April Consultation on the remaking of the drinking milk regulations 
			 31 March 23 June Consultation on soil strategy for England 
			 3 April 26 June Consultation on TSE Regulations 2007 
			 3 April 26 June Consultation draft Marine Bill 
			 8 April 29 August Consultation on the strategy of health of honey bees 
			 2 May 27 June Consultation on European Fisheries Fund: UK operational programme (2nd phase) 
			 7 May 30 July Consultation on the EU Commission's proposals to amend the EU ETS from 2013 
			 9 May 23 May Consultation on the remaking of Eggs and Chicks (England) Regulations 2008 
			 14 May 6 August Consultation on draft AQEG report: Ozone in the United Kingdom 
			 14 May 6 August Consultation on EPAQS report: guidelines for metals and metalloids in ambient air for the protection of human health 
			 14 May 6 August Consultation on EPAQS report: Addendum to guidelines for halogen and hydrogen halides in ambient air for protecting human health against acute irritancy effects 
			 28 May 20 August Consultation on groundwater regulations 
			 29 May 25 July Consultation on the European Commission's proposed directive on industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control) (recast)—intensive livestock 
			 29 May 25 July Consultation on the European Commission's proposed directive on industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control) (recast) 
			 29 May 25 July Consultation on the European Commission's proposed directive on industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control)(recast) - combustion plants 
			 2 June 25 August Consultation on REACH enforcement 
			 2 June 22 August Consultation on Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976—reform order 
			 6 June 31 July Consultation on the European Commission's proposed directive on industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control)(recast) - emissions 
			 9 June 1 September Consultation on CAP health checks 
			 13 June 25 July Consultation on Wine SI 2008 
			 16 June 11 August Consultation on Sector Guidance Note SG8: Rendering 
			 13 June 17 September A second consultation on the controls on the handling, transfer and transport of waste 
			 12 June 12 September Consultation on White Paper—Radioactive waste—to be published on homepages 
			 18 June 30 September Consultation on revised UK strategy for radioactive waste discharge limits 2006-2030 
			 23 June 17 October Consultation on revised membership arrangements for Northumberland National Park Authority 
			 June 2008 22 September Consultation on wildlife management strategy 
			 30 June 30 September Consultation on 'Our Seas—a shared resource' 
			 1 July 17 October Consultation on the Beef and Veal Labelling Regulations 2008 (England) 
			 4 July 26 September Consultation on air quality guidance 
			 11 July 3 October Consultation on f gases and ozone 
			 15 July 10 October Consultation on Phytopthora ramorem and Phytophthora kernoviae 
			 21 July 10 October Consultation on DEFRA's contingency plan 
			 21 July 20 October Consultation on gangmasters licensing (exclusions) regulations 
			 25 July 17 October Consultation on changes to the Local Government Act 1972 to allow local authorities in England to work together on animal health 
			 28 July 20 October Consultation on a code of practice for the sustainable use of soils on construction sites 
			 28 July 28 November Consultation on direct elections to National Park authorities 
			 30 July 31 October Consultation on flood resilience 
			 30 July 31 October Consultation on flooding, coastal erosion management 
			 31 July 2008 23 October Consultation on review of waste exemptions 
			 5 August 2008 28 October Consultation on plans to meet EU air quality limit values 
			 8 August 2008 3 October Consultation on the English inshore fleet—looking to the future 
			 11 August 3 November Consultation on private water supplies 
			 4 September 28 November Consultation on aviation action plans 
			 5 September 28 November Consultation on VMD 
			 8 September 28 November Consultation on common land councils 
			 15 September 14 November Consultation on Recycling Service guidance 
			 23 September 15 December Consultation on NCP broiler flocks regulations 
			 26 September 19 December Consultation on LA environmental regulation of industrial plant 2009/10 fees and charges 
			 30 September 23 December Consultation on the conservation varieties 
			 16 October 19 December Consultation on direction to the EA on classification of water bodies 
			 October 2008 19 January Consultation on carbon accounting regulation's 
			 October 2008 3 December Consultation on proposed changes to BSE Testing 
			 4 November 31 December Consultation on code of practice on cat, dog and equine 
			 4 November 2008 6 February Consultation on revision of our swine vesicular disease legislation 
			 7 November 30 January Consultation on the code of practice for animal feeds 
			 10 November 2 February Consultation on the equine ID 
			 13 November 2008 6 February Consultation on animal by products regulations 
			 13 November 2008 6 February Consultation on hazardous waste regulations 
			 14 November 6 February Consultation on the Better Regulation review and six-year review 
			 18 November 10 February Consultation on school milk 
			 27 November 19 February Consultation on marine works (amendment to regulations) 
			 17 December 20 March Consultation on the rules of court for the water and sewerage special administration regime 
			 17 December 27 March Consultation on national flood emergency framework 
			 22 December 31 March 2009 Consultation on water protection zones 
			 6 January 31 March Consultation on handling LA's powers to regulate paint supplies 
			 16 January 10 April Consultation on regulations to allow the free passage offish in inland waters 
			 20 January 27 March Consultation on allocating increased milk quota 
			 26 January 20 April Consultation to protect the welfare of chicken meat 
			 27 January 20 April Consultation on air quality directive extension 
			 27 January 20 April Consultation on the welfare of animals at killing

Recycling

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of the reduction in the value of recyclable materials on the recycling rates of local authorities.

Jane Kennedy: Figures for local authority recycling rates since the onset of the fall in value of recyclable materials are not yet available. However, the Waste and Resources Action Programme reports that so far there is no indication of any significant change in local authority recycling performance as a result of the fall in market prices.

Recycling

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what his policy is on the payment of recycling credits to third party collectors who collect material from the kerbside in one local authority area but send the material to a neighbouring local authority area which is willing to pay a recycling credit and claim the recycling within their reported recycling rate and his Department's WasteDataFlow system;
	(2)  how household recycling collected at the kerbside by social enterprise organisations is included in his Department's WasteDataFlow in circumstances where the local authority does not pay a recycling credit.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 23 February 2009
	Local authorities have a power but not a duty to pay recycling credits to third parties. The local authority in the area where the waste was collected may decide whether it would be reasonable to pay credits under these circumstances.
	WasteDataFlow collects information on "tonnes of material collected from kerbside schemes by non contracted/voluntary community sector from household sources". No information is collected on whether or not local authorities pay recycling credit in WasteDataFlow.

Recycling

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to review the distinction between his Department's definitions of domestic and commercial waste for the purposes of recycling waste; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The definitions of household and commercial waste used by DEFRA are those contained within Section 75 of The Environmental Protection Act 1990. Further clarification of these definitions is contained in the Controlled Waste Regulations 1992.
	There are no plans to review these definitions.

Rights of Way

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to identify and restore lost rights of way.

Huw Irranca-Davies: In the wake of the Discovering Lost Ways project, Natural England has formed a Stakeholder Working Group to bring together key interests nationally to agree a package of strategic reforms relating to unrecorded and other rights of way. These include any reforms the group considers would improve the system for processing claims and reduce unnecessary delay and bureaucracy.
	The group is expected to report by the end of the year. We have undertaken not to commence the provisions of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 relating to the extinguishment of unclaimed historic rights of way from 2026 at least until the group has reported.

Rural Payments Agency: ICT

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 January 2009,  Official Report, column 224W, on the Rural Payments Agency: ICT, if he will estimate the shelf-life of the Epsilon programme.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 23 February 2009
	The Epsilon programme, involving a 12 month development cycle, made changes to IT systems used to process claims under the Single Payments scheme. The changes made during the Epsilon upgrade will continue to be used unless amendments to the scheme affect the functions introduced as part of that programme.

Sewers

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from which budget his Department plans to meet net new burdens on local authorities imposed as a result of the transfer of responsibilities for maintaining private sewers and lateral drains.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The transfer of responsibility for private sewers and drains to the water and sewerage companies in England will impose no new net burdens on local authorities. It is expected that the transfer will produce savings to local authorities which will no longer need to exercise their statutory powers to ensure the repair of privately owned lateral drains and sewers.

Waste Disposal: Fees and Charges

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many local authorities have received advice through the Local Authority Support Direct Consultancy Service about the operation of alternate weekly collections of household waste in the last 24 months.

Jane Kennedy: There is no such named service.

Waste Management

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information his Department holds for benchmarking purposes on the proportion of municipal waste  (a) recycled or composted,  (b) landfilled and  (c) incinerated with energy from waste by each member state of the EU-15 in each of the last 10 years.

Jane Kennedy: DEFRA supplies data to Eurostat as part of its European reporting obligations. This reported national data for all EU member states is publicly available from Eurostat:
	http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu
	Data for the last 10 years is available from this site via the Eurostat Environmental Data Centre on Waste
	http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page?_pageid= 3155,70491033,3155,70521316&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL
	Eurostat publish this data for all EU-15 and EU-27 countries.

Water Charges

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has  (a) been budgeted for expenditure on and  (b) has been spent to date on the surface water management plan announced on 17 December 2008.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 23 February 2009
	At present, £300,000 is allocated towards the production of surface water management plans (SWMP) split over the six local authorities which are trialling the new SWMP guidance document. To date, no expenditure has been made but invoices are expected from the six authorities in the next few weeks. The anticipated expenditure up to end of March 2009 will be £190,000 with the remaining £110,000 spent by end of July 2009.

Water Charges

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding his Department has made available to each local authority for the development of a surface water management plan; and whether the allocation of this funding takes account of the geographical size of each local authority.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 23 February 2009
	 DEFRA announced initial funding of £300,000 in December 2008 for an initial programme of six locations where guidance for Surface Water Management Plans will be trialled. The money was divided equally between the successful bids. The findings from the trials are required quickly to inform final guidance which we are planning to consult on later in 2009 and then make available to all local authorities. Work on this first phase is not expected to deliver complete coverage within all the locations selected due to the variation in size and complexity.

Water Charges: Religious Buildings

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has received from the General Synod about church water bills; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: My Department has received a number of representations from the Church of England and I am aware that the issue of surface water drainage charges for churches was discussed by the General Synod on 11 February.
	The Government support site area charging for surface water drainage in principle. However, it is very wrong that customers such as churches are facing increases in bills of several hundred per cent., and where there are massive variations between what is being charged in different areas by different companies.
	I have made this clear to Ofwat as the economic regulator for the water industry. I have also made it clear that increases in bills of this magnitude are not in line with the Government's guidance on charging issued to Ofwat in 2000, or Ofwat's more detailed 2003 guidance to the water companies.
	It is for individual water companies to prepare their charging schemes and for Ofwat to review and approve them. In response to representations, United Utilities now proposes to set its surface water drainage charges for 2009-10 at 2007-08 levels for places of public religious worship.

Water Charges: Yorkshire and the Humber

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions his Department has had with  (a) Yorkshire Water and  (b) the East Riding Council on the development of a surface water management plan; and what progress has been made on such a plan.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 23 February 2009
	 The East Riding Council (indicating that Yorkshire Water would be a partner) submitted a bid for funding from DEFRA in October 2008. This followed a call for expressions of interest from local authorities to undertake early implementation of surface water drainage improvements. The purpose of the work was to test new guidance for producing surface water management plans and report back findings by mid 2009. DEFRA received more than 30 applications although the trial was restricted to six owing to the proposed level of support and advice that would be available during the trial. The East Riding proposal was of good quality but in this instance was not selected to be part of this first phase. The successful bids were announced by the Secretary of State on 18 December 2008 during the Government's Response to Sir Michael Pitt's Review—Lessons Learned from the 2007 Floods. DEFRA will shortly be publishing a living draft of the current guidance and inviting comments on this with a view to publishing a final version in autumn 2009.

Water Companies: Carbon Emissions

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what powers he has to direct Ofwat to direct water companies to adopt carbon dioxide emission reduction measures;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to promote the adoption of carbon dioxide emission reduction programmes by water supply companies.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Ofwat sets out how it is taking into account the impact of climate change for the 2009 price review in its documents "Setting Price Limits for 2010 to 2015: Framework and approach" and "Capital Expenditure for 2010 to 2015: Ofwat's views on companies' draft business plans". These documents are available on the Ofwat website.
	The Secretary of State has no powers to direct Ofwat to direct water companies. However, guidance issued by the Secretary of State to Ofwat in 2000 states that
	"companies' charges schemes should take proper account of the impact of the use of water services on the environment".

Water Companies: Carbon Emissions

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will meet representatives of water companies and the construction sector to discuss major infrastructure projects and carbon dioxide emission reductions.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Secretary of State and myself are in the process of arranging a meeting with water company chief executives to discuss a range of water issues.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Children

Maria Miller: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many and what proportion of women in the UK have children.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated February 2009:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your request for information on how many, and what proportion, of women in the UK have children. (257617)
	The information requested is only available for women of childbearing age in England and Wales (ages 15-44). The latest year for which figures are available is 2007.
	The table below shows for 2007, the estimated number and proportion of women aged between 15 and 44 in England and Wales who have ever had a child.
	
		
			  Estimated number and proportion of women aged 15-44 who have ever had a child, England and Wales, 2007 
			   Number/Percentage 
			 All women 11,127,200 
			 Women who have ever had a child 5,381,000 
			 Proportion of women who have ever had a child 48.4 
		
	
	The proportion of women aged 15-44 in 2007 who have ever had a child is relatively low because many of the women in this age group have not yet started childbearing. For women who have completed their childbearing years (women aged 45 in 2007), 80 per cent are estimated to have had at least one child.
	More detailed information showing the proportion of women of childbearing age by number of live-born children, by year of birth of mother and age is published annually for England and Wales in Birth Statistics Series FML Table 10.5.
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=5768

Civil Service: Work Experience

Julian Lewis: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what summer placement internship schemes are available in the Civil Service for students  (a) with disabilities,  (b) without disabilities,  (c) from an ethnic minority and  (d) not from an ethnic minority.

Tom Watson: holding answer 12 February 2009
	The Cabinet Office is responsible for managing the Civil Service Summer Diversity Internship programme. The Summer Diversity Internship programme is open to undergraduates and graduates from black and ethnic minority backgrounds and those with disabilities. The programme seeks to provide high calibre ethnic minority and disabled undergraduates/graduates with a six-nine weeks work placement within Government Departments across Whitehall. The aim of the programme is to ensure that the civil service is bringing through a diverse range of people to further increase the capacity and capability of the civil service to better respond to the needs of the business and public.
	The Cabinet Office is not responsible for centrally coordinating any internship schemes that are department specific and does not hold any information about these local schemes.
	We have been in discussions with senior officials at the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and other stakeholders about the proposed new National Internship programme and have offered our support to this programme across the civil service.

Departmental ICT

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with reference to the answer of 4 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 336-7W, on Government Departments: information and communications technology, which IP addresses are used by  (a) his Department and  (b) computers in the offices of its (i) Ministers, (ii) communications officials and (iii) special advisers.

Tom Watson: In accordance with standard good information security practice and to help defend against electronic attack, my department does not publish internal IP addresses for its corporate IT systems. When accessing external services such as internet websites, the IP addresses of all the computers on my Department's internal office IT system are hidden behind the following IP addresses which are publicly available—195.92.40.49 and 62.25.106.209.

Departmental Pay

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much has been spent by his Department on staff reward and recognition schemes in each of the last three years.

Tom Watson: The amount spent by the Cabinet Office on staff reward and recognition schemes in each of the last three years is set out as follows:
	
		
			   Amount spent (£) 
			 2007-08 24,350 
			 2006-07 12,600 
			 2005-06 0 
		
	
	These totals represent small individual awards to staff as part of the overall pay award. They are used to drive performance and recognise individual instances of exceptional performance.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what percentage of the population is registered to vote in each constituency, ranked in descending order in each region.

Kevin Brennan: The information falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 20 February 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question asking what percentage of the population is registered to vote in each constituency ranked in descending order in each region (257330)
	Table 1 shows the number of people who were registered to vote in parliamentary elections as a percentage of the estimated resident population aged 18 and over for each parliamentary constituency in England Wales for 2007. This is the latest year for which estimates of the usually resident population are available by parliamentary constituency. The table has been placed in the House of Commons library.
	These figures should not be interpreted as the percentage of the eligible population who are registered to vote. The population eligible to vote in parliamentary elections includes British Citizens resident overseas and excludes foreign citizens (from outside the British Commonwealth and Republic of Ireland) resident within England and Wales.
	In addition, figures for the registered electorate may be inflated because people who have more than one address may register in more than one place (e.g. students may register at parental and term-time addresses) and electoral registration officers vary in how quickly they remove people from the registers after they have moved away from an area or died. This may lead to percentages of over one hundred per cent and can affect the comparability of figures across parliamentary constituencies.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of people registered to vote in parliamentary elections as a percentage of the resident population aged 18 and over, by parliamentary constituency in England and Wales, and Government office regions in England, 2007( 1) 
			   Parliamentary constituency  Percentage( 2) 
			  England   
			  North East North West Durham 101 
			  Sedgefield 100 
			  Darlington 100 
			  Hexham 100 
			  Bishop Auckland 100 
			  North Durham 100 
			  Blaydon 99 
			  Blyth Valley 98 
			  Easington 98 
			  Gateshead East and Washington West 98 
			  Tynemouth 98 
			  Hartlepool 98 
			  Wansbeck 97 
			  North Tyneside 96 
			  Jarrow 96 
			  Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland 96 
			  Houghton and Washington East 96 
			  Berwick-upon-Tweed 95 
			  Sunderland South 95 
			  Stockton South 95 
			  Redcar 94 
			  Stockton North 94 
			  South Shields 93 
			  Newcastle upon Tyne North 93 
			  Middlesbrough 92 
			  Sunderland North 91 
			  Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend 89 
			  Tyne Bridge 85 
			  City of Durham 84 
			  Newcastle upon Tyne Central 83 
			
			  North West Wirral South 101 
			  Wirral West 100 
			  Bolton West 100 
			  West Lancashire 100 
			  Cheadle 100 
			  Bury North 100 
			  Congleton 100 
			  Warrington South 99 
			  Bolton North East 99 
			  Rossendale and Darwen 99 
			  Halton 99 
			  Penrith and The Border 99 
			  South Ribble 99 
			  Macclesfield 99 
			  Blackpool South 99 
			  Blackburn 99 
			  Altrincham and Sale West 98 
			  Burnley 98 
			  St. Helens North 98 
			  Rochdale 98 
			  Hazel Grove 98 
			  Copeland 98 
			  Bury South 98 
			  Heywood and Middleton 98 
			  Weaver Vale 98 
			  Carlisle 98 
			  Ribble Valley 98 
			  Denton and Reddish 98 
			  St. Helens South 98 
			  Stalybridge and Hyde 98 
			  Bolton South East 98 
			  Wallasey 97 
			  Tatton 97 
			  Wigan 97 
			  Birkenhead 97 
			  Warrington North 97 
			  Fylde 97 
			  Makerfield 97 
			  Workington 97 
			  Crewe and Nantwich 97 
			  Westmorland and Lonsdale 97 
			  Worsley 97 
			  Knowsley North and Sefton East 96 
			  Crosby 96 
			  Oldham East and Saddleworth 96 
			  Ellesmere Port and Neston 96 
			  Stretford and Urmston 96 
			  Oldham West and Royton 96 
			  Leigh 96 
			  Blackpool North and Fleetwood 95 
			  Pendle 95 
			  Chorley 95 
			  Ashton under Lyne 95 
			  Hyndburn 95 
			  Stockport 94 
			  Knowsley South 94 
			  Eddisbury 94 
			  Liverpool, Garston 94 
			  Barrow and Furness 94 
			  Eccles 93 
			  Manchester, Withington 93 
			  Wythenshawe and Sale East 93 
			  Preston 93 
			  Liverpool, Wavertree 92 
			  Lancaster and Wyre 92 
			  Morecambe and Lunesdale 92 
			  Liverpool, West Derby 92 
			  Southport 91 
			  Liverpool, Riverside 91 
			  City of Chester 91 
			  Liverpool, Walton 90 
			  Bootle 89 
			  Manchester, Blackley 89 
			  Salford 87 
			  Manchester, Gorton 87 
			  Manchester Central 86 
			
			  Yorkshire and the Humber Brigg and Goole 99 
			  Normanton 99 
			  Hemsworth 99 
			  Barnsley West and Penistone 99 
			  Pontefract and Castleford 98 
			  East Yorkshire 98 
			  Rother Valley 98 
			  Beverley and Holderness 98 
			  Scunthorpe 98 
			  Haltemprice and Howden 98 
			  Colne Valley 97 
			  Wentworth 97 
			  Cleethorpes 96 
			  Barnsley Central 96 
			  Vale of York 96 
			  Scarborough and Whitby 96 
			  Barnsley East and Mexborough 96 
			  Selby 96 
			  Ryedale 96 
			  Dewsbury 95 
			  Batley and Spen 95 
			  Kingston upon Hull East 95 
			  Elmet 95 
			  Pudsey 95 
			  Wakefield 94 
			  Calder Valley 94 
			  Don Valley 94 
			  Doncaster North 94 
			  Shipley 94 
			  Richmond (Yorks) 94 
			  Skipton and Ripon 93 
			  Rotherham 93 
			  Sheffield, Hillsborough 93 
			  Morley and Rothwell 93 
			  Huddersfield 93 
			  Doncaster Central 93 
			  Leeds North East 92 
			  Great Grimsby 92 
			  Harrogate and Knaresborough 92 
			  Keighley 92 
			  Halifax 91 
			  Sheffield, Attercliffe 91 
			  Sheffield, Hallam 90 
			  Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle 90 
			  City of York 90 
			  Sheffield, Heeley 89 
			  Bradford South 88 
			  Bradford North 88 
			  Leeds West 86 
			  Leeds East 85 
			  Sheffield, Brightside 85 
			  Kingston upon Hull North 83 
			  Leeds North West 79 
			  Bradford West 78 
			  Leeds Central 77 
			  Sheffield Central 71 
			
			  East Midlands Mansfield 100 
			  North West Leicestershire 100 
			  Bolsover 100 
			  Amber Valley 99 
			  Chesterfield 99 
			  West Derbyshire 99 
			  Harborough 99 
			  South Holland and The Deepings 98 
			  North East Derbyshire 98 
			  Charnwood 98 
			  Kettering 98 
			  Ashfield 98 
			  Bosworth 98 
			  South Derbyshire 97 
			  Gainsborough 97 
			  Bassetlaw 97 
			  Blaby 97 
			  Boston and Skegness 97 
			  Leicester East 97 
			  Sherwood 96 
			  Corby 96 
			  Rutland and Melton 96 
			  Sleaford and North Hykeham 96 
			  High Peak 96 
			  Rushcliffe 95 
			  Erewash 95 
			  Grantham and Stamford 95 
			  Gedling 95 
			  Newark 95 
			  Louth and Horncastle 94 
			  Derby North 94 
			  Leicester South 93 
			  Wellingborough 93 
			  Daventry 92 
			  Northampton North 92 
			  Loughborough 92 
			  Leicester West 91 
			  Northampton South 91 
			  Broxtowe 91 
			  Derby South 89 
			  Lincoln 88 
			  Nottingham North 88 
			  Nottingham East 76 
			  Nottingham South 72 
			
			  West Midlands Ludlow 101 
			  Cannock Chase 101 
			  Stourbridge 101 
			  Sutton Coldfield 100 
			  Meriden 100 
			  Lichfield 100 
			  Halesowen and Rowley Regis 100 
			  Staffordshire Moorlands 100 
			  Stoke-on-Trent South 100 
			  West Bromwich West 100 
			  Bromsgrove 99 
			  West Worcestershire 99 
			  Dudley North 99 
			  Aldridge-Brownhills 99 
			  Dudley South 99 
			  South Staffordshire 99 
			  Stone 99 
			  Stoke-on-Trent North 99 
			  Redditch 98 
			  Wolverhampton South East 98 
			  Worcester 98 
			  North Shropshire 98 
			  Burton 98 
			  Rugby and Kenilworth 98 
			  Stratford-on-Avon 98 
			  North Warwickshire 97 
			  West Bromwich East 97 
			  Shrewsbury and Atcham 97 
			  Tamworth 97 
			  Telford 96 
			  Hereford 96 
			  Birmingham, Hall Green 96 
			  Birmingham, Hodge Hill 96 
			  Wolverhampton North East 96 
			  Wyre Forest 95 
			  Stoke-on-Trent Central 95 
			  The Wrekin 95 
			  Leominster 95 
			  Newcastle-under-Lyme 95 
			  Mid Worcestershire 95 
			  Nuneaton 95 
			  Walsall South 95 
			  Warley 95 
			  Stafford 94 
			  Birmingham, Yardley 94 
			  Birmingham, Northfield 94 
			  Walsall North 94 
			  Wolverhampton South West 94 
			  Birmingham, Perry Barr 93 
			  Birmingham, Erdington 93 
			  Solihull 93 
			  Birmingham, Selly Oak 93 
			  Coventry North West 91 
			  Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath 90 
			  Coventry South 88 
			  Warwick and Leamington 88 
			  Birmingham, Edgbaston 88 
			  Birmingham, Ladywood 87 
			  Coventry North East 86 
			
			  East Hitchin and Harpenden 104 
			  South Suffolk 101 
			  Saffron Walden 100 
			  Central Suffolk and North Ipswich 99 
			  North West Norfolk 99 
			  Rayleigh 99 
			  South Norfolk 99 
			  Billericay 98 
			  North Norfolk 98 
			  Hemel Hempstead 97 
			  Castle Point 97 
			  Basildon 97 
			  St. Albans 97 
			  Watford 97 
			  Maldon and East Chelmsford 97 
			  Epping Forest 97 
			  Harlow 96 
			  South West Bedfordshire 96 
			  Hertford and Stortford 96 
			  Bury St. Edmunds 96 
			  Ipswich 96 
			  Southend West 96 
			  Stevenage 96 
			  Braintree 96 
			  Brentwood and Ongar 96 
			  South Cambridgeshire 96 
			  Waveney 96 
			  South West Hertfordshire 95 
			  Mid Norfolk 95 
			  Suffolk Coastal 95 
			  North East Bedfordshire 95 
			  Luton North 95 
			  Broxbourne 95 
			  West Chelmsford 95 
			  Thurrock 95 
			  Rochford and Southend East 94 
			  North East Cambridgeshire 94 
			  Hertsmere 94 
			  Mid Bedfordshire 94 
			  North East Hertfordshire 94 
			  South East Cambridgeshire 94 
			  Great Yarmouth 93 
			  Norwich North 93 
			  Luton South 93 
			  North Essex 92 
			  North West Cambridgeshire 92 
			  Huntingdon 91 
			  Harwich 90 
			  South West Norfolk 90 
			  Bedford 89 
			  Norwich South 87 
			  Welwyn Hatfield 87 
			  Colchester 84 
			  West Suffolk 81 
			  Peterborough 80 
			  Cambridge 77 
			
			  London Chingford and Woodford Green 101 
			  Romford 100 
			  Orpington 99 
			  Old Bexley and Sidcup 99 
			  Hornchurch 99 
			  Bexleyheath and Crayford 98 
			  Upminster 98 
			  Bromley and Chislehurst 98 
			  Croydon South 97 
			  Ruislip-Northwood 97 
			  Erith and Thamesmead 97 
			  Harrow East 97 
			  Dagenham 96 
			  Uxbridge 96 
			  East Ham 95 
			  Beckenham 95 
			  Feltham and Heston 94 
			  Eltham 94 
			  Harrow West 94 
			  Ilford South 93 
			  Ilford North 93 
			  Chipping Barnet 92 
			  Brent North 91 
			  Twickenham 91 
			  Barking 91 
			  Walthamstow 91 
			  Hayes and Harlington 90 
			  Carshalton and Wallington 90 
			  Croydon Central 90 
			  Enfield North 89 
			  Battersea 89 
			  Leyton and Wanstead 89 
			  Enfield, Southgate 89 
			  Sutton and Cheam 89 
			  Ealing, Southall 88 
			  Greenwich and Woolwich 88 
			  Brentford and Isleworth 88 
			  Lewisham East 88 
			  Tooting 87 
			  Dulwich and West Norwood 87 
			  West Ham 87 
			  Bethnal Green and Bow 86 
			  Lewisham West 86 
			  Hornsey and Wood Green 86 
			  Croydon North 86 
			  Streatham 86 
			  Hackney South and Shoreditch 85 
			  Poplar and Canning Town 84 
			  Camberwell and Peckham 84 
			  Edmonton 84 
			  Ealing North 83 
			  Putney 83 
			  Kingston and Surbiton 83 
			  Richmond Park 82 
			  Mitcham and Morden 82 
			  Brent South 81 
			  Hendon 80 
			  Lewisham, Deptford 80 
			  Wimbledon 79 
			  Vauxhall 79 
			  Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush 79 
			  Tottenham 79 
			  Hackney North and Stoke Newington 79 
			  Islington North 79 
			  Islington South and Finsbury 77 
			  Brent East 77 
			  Finchley and Golders Green 77 
			  North Southwark and Bermondsey 76 
			  Hammersmith and Fulham 75 
			  Hampstead and Highgate 70 
			  Holborn and St. Pancras 68 
			  Regent's Park and North Kensington 67 
			  Cities of London and Westminster 59 
			  Kensington and Chelsea 55 
			
			  South East North West Hampshire 103 
			  East Hampshire 101 
			  Wantage 100 
			  Henley 99 
			  Wealden 99 
			  Winchester 99 
			  Fareham 99 
			  Havant 99 
			  Chesham and Amersham 99 
			  Mole Valley 98 
			  Mid Sussex 98 
			  Arundel and South Downs 98 
			  Chichester 98 
			  New Forest West 98 
			  New Forest East 98 
			  East Worthing and Shoreham 98 
			  Dover 97 
			  South West Surrey 97 
			  Faversham and Mid Kent 97 
			  Horsham 97 
			  Newbury 97 
			  Eastleigh 97 
			  Dartford 97 
			  North East Hampshire 97 
			  Lewes 97 
			  Spelthorne 97 
			  Worthing West 97 
			  Witney 97 
			  Beaconsfield 97 
			  Ashford 97 
			  Isle of Wight 97 
			  Bexhill and Battle 96 
			  Gosport 96 
			  South Thanet 96 
			  Buckingham 96 
			  Tonbridge and Malling 96 
			  Epsom and Ewell 96 
			  Romsey 96 
			  Wycombe 96 
			  Surrey Heath 95 
			  Tunbridge Wells 95 
			  Banbury 95 
			  Maidstone and The Weald 95 
			  Sevenoaks 95 
			  North Thanet 94 
			  Reading West 94 
			  Sittingbourne and Sheppey 94 
			  Chatham and Aylesford 94 
			  Wokingham 93 
			  Aylesbury 93 
			  North East Milton Keynes 93 
			  Maidenhead 93 
			  Reigate 93 
			  East Surrey 93 
			  Folkestone and Hythe 93 
			  Milton Keynes South West 93 
			  Guildford 93 
			  Medway 92 
			  Bognor Regis and Littlehampton 92 
			  Eastbourne 92 
			  Bracknell 92 
			  Woking 92 
			  Gravesham 92 
			  Hove 92 
			  Gillingham 92 
			  Hastings and Rye 91 
			  Crawley 91 
			  Brighton, Pavilion 91 
			  Oxford West and Abingdon 91 
			  Windsor 90 
			  Portsmouth North 90 
			  Brighton, Kemptown 90 
			  Aldershot 90 
			  Southampton, Itchen 89 
			  Reading East 88 
			  Esher and Walton 87 
			  Basingstoke 85 
			  Slough 84 
			  Southampton, Test 84 
			  Canterbury 82 
			  Runnymede and Weybridge 82 
			  Oxford East 79 
			  Portsmouth South 77 
			
			  South West West Dorset 102 
			  Christchurch 101 
			  North Swindon 101 
			  Poole 101 
			  Mid Dorset and North Poole 100 
			  North Devon 100 
			  North Wiltshire 100 
			  Stroud 99 
			  Yeovil 99 
			  Forest of Dean 99 
			  Tewkesbury 98 
			  Somerton and Frome 98 
			  Devizes 98 
			  Teignbridge 98 
			  North Dorset 98 
			  South East Cornwall 98 
			  Cotswold 98 
			  Tiverton and Honiton 98 
			  South West Devon 98 
			  Totnes 98 
			  Wansdyke 97 
			  South Swindon 97 
			  Wells 97 
			  Northavon 97 
			  Kingswood 96 
			  South Dorset 96 
			  Woodspring 96 
			  Cheltenham 96 
			  Bridgwater 96 
			  Torbay 95 
			  Westbury 95 
			  Gloucester 95 
			  Torridge and West Devon 95 
			  Taunton 95 
			  Truro and St. Austell 95 
			  East Devon 95 
			  St. Ives 95 
			  Bournemouth East 95 
			  North Cornwall 94 
			  Plymouth, Devonport 93 
			  Falmouth and Camborne 93 
			  Bristol North West 92 
			  Salisbury 92 
			  Weston-Super-Mare 91 
			  Bristol South 91 
			  Bournemouth West 88 
			  Bath 86 
			  Bristol East 84 
			  Exeter 81 
			  Plymouth, Sutton 81 
			  Bristol West 80 
			
			  Wales Islwyn 106 
			  Cardiff West 104 
			  Ogmore 104 
			  Neath 101 
			  Aberavon 100 
			  Clwyd West 100 
			  Preseli Pembrokeshire 100 
			  Gower 100 
			  Swansea West 98 
			  Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney 98 
			  Swansea East 98 
			  Brecon and Radnorshire 97 
			  Monmouth 97 
			  Blaenau Gwent 97 
			  Torfaen 96 
			  Meirionnydd Nant Conwy 96 
			  Alyn and Deeside 96 
			  Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire 96 
			  Montgomeryshire 96 
			  Vale of Clwyd 95 
			  Cynon Valley 95 
			  Delyn 95 
			  Rhondda 94 
			  Bridgend 94 
			  Cardiff North 94 
			  Caernarfon 94 
			  Ynys Mon 93 
			  Newport East 93 
			  Clwyd South 93 
			  Conwy 93 
			  Newport West 92 
			  Pontypridd 91 
			  Wrexham 91 
			  Vale of Glamorgan 91 
			  Carmarthen East and Dinefwr 91 
			  Llanelli 91 
			  Cardiff South and Penarth 91 
			  Caerphilly 90 
			  Cardiff Central 90 
			  Ceredigion 85 
			 (1) The percentages have been calculated using the mid-2007 population estimates for parliamentary constituencies in England and Wales of those aged 18 and above, and the number of people registered to vote in parliamentary elections on the 1 December 2007. (2) Percentages exceed 100 per cent. where the registered electorate exceeds the estimated population of an area.  Source: Office for National Statistics

Employment: Lone Parents

Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many lone parents were in work in  (a) 1998 and  (b) 2005; and how many lone parents were in work on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated February 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many lone parents were in work in (a) 1998 and (b) 2005; and how many lone parents are in work on the most recent date for which figures are available. (257315)
	The information requested is given in the table attached. The figures in the table are estimates from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) household datasets available for the three month period ending in June of each year requested.
	The LFS is a sample survey covering over 53,000 households in the United Kingdom, in each three month period. As with any sample survey, estimates from the Labour Force Survey are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			  Working-age( 1 ) lone parents with dependent children( 2)  in employment 
			   Level (thousand) 
			 April-June 1998 778 
			 April-June 2005 1,023 
			 April-June 2008 1,040 
			 (1) Men aged 16-64 and women aged 16-59. (2) Children under 16 and those aged 16-18 who are never-married and in full-time education.  Source: Labour Force Survey

Employment: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people were in employment in the City of York in each of the last 15 years.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell ,  dated February 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about how many people were in employment in the City of York in each of the last 15 years.
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles employment statistics for local areas from the annual Labour Force Survey (LFS) and the Annual Population Survey (APS) and following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
	The following table shows the number of people, aged 16 and over, resident in the City of York constituency, who were in employment in each of the last 15 years. Estimates are provided for the 12 months ending in February from 1995, the earliest period for which estimates are available, to 2004, from the annual LFS, and for the 12 months ending in March from 2005 to 2008, from the APS. An estimate for July 2007 to June 2008 has also been provided, the most recent twelve months for which data are available.
	As these estimates are for a subset of the population in a small geographical area, they are based on small sample sizes, and are therefore subject to large margins of uncertainty.
	
		
			  People in employment( 1)  in City of York Constituency 
			  £000 
			  12 months ending  Employment 
			 February  
			 1995 44 
			 1996 51 
			 1997 44 
			 1998 45 
			 1999 48 
			 2000 45 
			 2001 51 
			 2002 51 
			 2003 54 
			 2004 53 
			 March  
			 2005 55 
			 2006 56 
			 2007 57 
			 2008 58 
			 June  
			 2008(2) (**)59 
			 (1) Levels of employment are provided for persons aged 16 and over. The figures presented are weighted to population estimates published in 2007. (2) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality below.  Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV — for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5 per cent. we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220.  Key Coefficient of Variation (CV) (%) Statistical robustness  * 0 = CV [le] 5 Estimates are considered precise. ** 5 = CV [le] 10 Estimates are considered reasonably precise. *** 10 = CV [le] 20 Estimates are considered acceptable. **** CV ≥ 20 Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes.  Source: Annual Labour Force Survey and Annual Population Survey.

Foreign Workers: Wales

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many non-UK nationals were working in Wales in 2008.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated February 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many non-UK nationals were working in Wales in 2008. (258034)
	There are an estimated 48 thousand non-UK nationals aged 16 and over in employment in Wales.
	The estimate is derived from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) using the latest data available (October-December 2008). It should be noted that the above estimate excludes people in most types of communal establishment (e.g. hotels, boarding houses, hostels, mobile home sites etc). As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	The figure is derived from the LFS microdata which are weighted using the official population estimates published in autumn 2007. Consequently the estimate is not entirely consistent with the figures published in the monthly Labour Market Statistics First Release, or the migrant workers figures published every quarter, which are weighted using more up-to-date population estimates.

Freedom of Information

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many freedom of information requests refused in whole or in part by his Department are subject to further review by the Information Commissioner.

Tom Watson: Information about cases referred to the Information Commissioner's Office is not a matter for the Cabinet Office.

Government Departments: Computer Software

Andrew Slaughter: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will conduct a cost-benefit analysis of the adoption of open source software in Government.

Tom Watson: The Government are committed to seek the best value for money in the technology it buys. We announced in 2004 that Open Source solutions should be considered fairly on this basis. Since then, many Government Departments have shown that Open Source can be best for the taxpayer—for our web services, for the NHS and in other vital public services.
	However we need to ensure that the potential of open source solutions are fully appreciated among all Government IT Suppliers and among the Government's own IT and procurement professionals. I am publishing today new procurement guidelines and a programme of ten positive actions to ensure that cost-benefit analysis of open source is a regular part of IT procurement. I am placing a full copy of the document in the Libraries of the House.

Job Vacancies

Alan Milburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the average number of job vacancies was in  (a) Darlington constituency,  (b) County Durham and  (c) England in each of the last three years.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated February 2009 :
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the average number of vacancies was in (a) Darlington constituency, (b) County Durham and (c) England in each of the last three years. (258256)
	The Office for National Statistics estimates the total number of UK vacancies from the Vacancy Survey, but estimates for areas within the UK are not available from this source.
	An alternative source of information on job vacancies is the administrative data from Jobcentre Plus. This data only includes job vacancies notified to Jobcentre Plus and so is inconsistent with the Vacancy Survey, which includes all known vacancies. However, detailed geographical breakdowns of the administrative data are available.
	The table attached shows the number of live, unfilled job vacancies held by Jobcentre Plus for the Darlington constituency, for County Durham and for England, in December 2006, 2007 and 2008. Figures from Jobcentre Plus for Great Britain and three month averages for the UK from the Vacancy Survey have also been included, for comparison.
	
		
			  Number of job vacancies( 1)  in Darlington parliamentary constituency, County Durham, England, Great Britain and UK 
			   Not seasonally adjusted  Seasonally adjusted 
			   Darlington  County Durham  England  Great Britain   UK 
			 December 2006 756 2,676 264,618 308,414 October to December 2006 603,000 
			 December 2007 641 3,459 342,840 394,904 October to December 2007 682,000 
			 December 2008 372 1,529 238,385 271,011 October to December 2008 532,000 
			 (1) Job vacancies for Darlington, County Durham, England and Great Britain are live unfilled vacancies from Jobcentre Plus administrative data. These are inconsistent with the UK figures from the ONS Vacancy Survey.  Sources: Not seasonally adjusted—Jobcentre Plus Administrative Data Seasonally adjusted—Vacancy Survey, ONS

Lobbying

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will establish a register of lobbyists to record  (a) representations made by lobbyists,  (b) salaries of lobbyists,  (c) each lobbying event involving a Minister and  (d) the subject of each lobbying event.

Tom Watson: The Public Administration Select Committee published its report on lobbying on 5 January 2009. The Government will respond in due course.

Minimum Wage

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people in  (a) the UK,  (b) Yorkshire and the Humber and  (c) the City of York he estimates are being paid at the level of the national minimum wage.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated February 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many people in (a) the UK, (b) Yorkshire and the Humber and (c) the City of York are estimated as being paid at the level of the national minimum wage. (257973)
	Estimates for the number of jobs paid at the national minimum wage are not available from the Office for National Statistics. However, estimates for the number of all employee jobs paid below the national wage are available by Government Office Region. This is the lowest geographical breakdown published by ONS.
	I attach a table showing the number of jobs earning less than the national minimum wage for UK and the Yorkshire and the Humber region for all employees in 2008.
	A guide to measuring low pay and associated articles can be found on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=5837
	
		
			  Number of employee jobs paid below the national minimum wage in the UK and the Yorkshire and the Humber region for 2008 
			  2008  Number of jobs ( T housand) 
			 UK 288 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 29 
			  Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics.

Pay

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the average weekly earnings were of  (a) full-time and  (b) part-time (i) employees, (ii) male employees and (iii) female employees in (A) the UK, (B) Yorkshire and the Humber and (C) the City of York in (1) cash and (2) real terms in each year since the City of York unitary council was established.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated February 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the average weekly earnings were of (a) full-time and (b) part-time (i) employees, (ii) male employees and (iii) female employees in (A) the UK, (B) Yorkshire and the Humber and (C) City of York in (1) cash and (2) real terms in each year since the City of York unitary council was established. (257976)
	City of York unitary council was established in 1996. Since 1997, average levels of earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), and are provided for all employees on adult rates of pay whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence.
	Table 1 attached below shows the median gross weekly earnings for full-time, male full-time, female full-time, part-time, male part-time and female part-time employees for the specified geographies for all years since 1997. In table 2, the figures from table 1 are expressed in 2008 prices by deflating with the Retail Price Index (RPI).
	
		
			  Median weekly pay ,  Gross ,  f or employee jobs( q) : United Kingdom, Yorkshire and the Humber and York Unitary Authority ,  1997 to 200 8 
			  Current prices (£) 
			  Description  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004(  b)  2004(  c)  2005  2006(  d)  2006(  e)  2007  2008 
			  UK 
			 Full time 321 335 346 359 376 391 404 423 419 431 446 444 458 479 
			 Male full time 357 373 384 398 416 430 445 463 460 471 487 484 498 521 
			 Female full time 265 277 289 298 314 331 343 361 357 371 386 383 395 412 
			 Part time 93 97 103 106 110 116 123 131 130 132 137 138 144 147 
			 Male part time 84 86 96 96 99 110 113 120 121 122 128 128 137 137 
			 Female part time 94 99 105 108 112 118 125 133 132 135 140 140 145 150 
			
			  Yorkshire and the Humber 
			 Full time 298 314 321 335 346 360 376 393 389 399 412 409 423 441 
			 Male full time 331 346 357 374 381 395 412 433 426 435 450 449 464 485 
			 Female full time 239 251 263 269 285 298 314 334 327 338 353 350 355 371 
			 Part time 89 93 99 103 107 114 120 128 125 130 131 132 141 144 
			 Male part time *79 *92 *104 *100 *99 *109 *115 *125 *122 121 120 120 *132 *137 
			 Female part time 90 93 99 103 108 114 121 128 126 132 134 134 144 147 
			
			  York Unitary Authority 
			 Full time *297 323 *340 368 372 *400 405 *423 *419 414 453 451 *462 *453 
			 Male full time *363 *372 *382 *403 *402 448 *446 *472 *460 *454 486 481 *500 *482' 
			 Female full time *235 *250 *267 *286 *303 *306 *335 *342 *342 *356 *395 *391 *393 **392 
			 Part time **87 *93 *100 *111 **111 *117 *122 *127 *121 *127 *136 *138 *146 **149 
			 Male part time X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 
			 Female part time *89 *95 *101 **117 **116 *125 **124 130 *126 *133 *146 *146 *149 **153 
			 (a )Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence. (b )2004 results excluding supplementary survey for comparison with 2003. (c )2004 results including supplementary surveys designed to improve coverage of the survey (for more information see National Statistics website www.statistics.gov.uk). (d )2006 results with methodology consistent with 2005. (e )2009 results with methodology consistent with 2007.  Guide to quality The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of a figure, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an average of 200 with a CV of 5 per cent. we would expect the population average to be within the range 180 to 220.  Key CV <= 5% * CV > 5% and <= 10% ** CV > 10% and <= 20% X CV > 20%  Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), Office for National Statistics. 1997 to 2008 
		
	
	
		
			  Median weekly pay ,  Gross ,  f or employee jobs( q) : United Kingdom, Yorkshire and the Humber and York Unitary Authority ,  1997 to 200 8 
			  Constant (2008) prices (£) 
			  Description  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004(  b)  2004(  c)  2005  2006(  d)  2006(  e)  2007  2008 
			  UK 
			 Full time 439 441 448 452 465 476 477 487 483 482 486 483 477 479 
			 Male full time 489 491 497 500 514 524 525 534 530 526 530 527 519 521 
			 Female full time 363 364 374 375 389 403 405 416 411 415 420 417 411 412 
			 Part time 127 128 134 133 136 142 145 151 150 148 150 150 150 147 
			 Male part time 115 113 124 120 122 134 133 139 139 136 140 139 142 137 
			 Female part time 129 130 135 136 139 143 148 153 152 150 152 152 151 150 
			
			  Yorkshire and the Humber 
			 Full time 408 413 416 421 427 438 444 453 449 445 449 445 440 441 
			 Male full time 453 455 463 470 471 481 486 499 491 485 490 489 483 485 
			 Female full time 328 330 341 338 352 363 371 385 377 378 385 381 370 371 
			 Part time 122 122 129 129 132 138 142 148 144 145 143 143 147 144 
			 Male part time *108 *121 *135 *126 *122 *133 *135 *144 *140 135 131 131 *137 *137 
			 Female part time 123 122 129 130 133 139 143 148 145 148 146 146 150 147 
			
			  York Unitary Authority 
			 Full time *407 425 *440 463 460 *487 478 *488 *483 463 494 491 *481 *453 
			 Male full time *497 *490 *495 *508 *497 546 *526 *544 *531 *507 529 523 *521 *482 
			 Female full time *322 *329 *346 *360 *375 *372 *395 *394 *394 *397 *430 *425 *409 **392 
			 Part time **119 *123 *129 *140 **137 *143 *144 *147 *140 *142 *148 *150 *152 **149 
			 Male part time X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 
			 Female part time *122 *124 *131 **147 **144 *152 **147 150 *145 *149 *158 *159 *155 **153 
			 (a )Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence. (b )2004 results excluding supplementary survey for comparison with 2003. (c )2004 results including supplementary surveys designed to improve coverage of the survey (for more information see National Statistics website www.statistics.gov.uk). (d )2006 results with methodology consistent with 2005. (e )2009 results with methodology consistent with 2007.  Guide to quality The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of a figure, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an average of 200 with a CV of 5 per cent. we would expect the population average to be within the range 180 to 220.  Key CV <= 5% * CV > 5% and <= 10% ** CV > 10% and <= 20% X CV > 20%  Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), Office for National Statistics. 1997 to 2008 uprated using the RPI.

Public Sector: Manpower

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people were employed in  (a) the Civil Service,  (b) central government,  (c) local government and  (d) the public sector in each year since 1996-97.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated February 2009:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many people were employed in  (a) the Civil Service,  (b) central government,  (c) local government and  (d) the public sector in each year since 1996-97. (257011)
	The Office for National Statistics collects employment statistics for the public sector, as part of the Quarterly Public Sector Employment Survey (QPSES).
	The requested data are attached at Annex A.
	
		
			  Annex A :  public sector employment by sector classification 
			  United Kingdom  (thousand); h eadcount; not seasonally adjusted 
			   Local Government( 1)  Central Government( 2)  Public Corproations( 3)  Total Public Sector( 4)  Of which :  Civil Service( 5) 
			 1997 2,728 2,107 346 5,182 516 
			 1998 2,710 2,111 349 5,170 505 
			 1999 2,728 2,115 357 5,200 504 
			 2000 2,763 2,154 363 5,281 516 
			 2001 2,764 2,232 375 5,371 522 
			 2002 2,782 2,324 373 5,479 538 
			 2003 2,824 2,434 376 5,634 560 
			 2004 2,878 2,506 367 5,751 570 
			 2005 2,915 2,564 370 5,849 570 
			 2006 2,925 2,539 349 5,813 558 
			 2007 2,932 2,491 342 5,765 539 
			 2008 2,913 2,489 345 5,747 522 
			 (1) Local government covers those types of public administration that only cover a locality and any bodies controlled and mainly financed by them. It includes police forces and their civilian staff (2 )Central government includes all administrative departments of government and other central agencies and non-departmental public bodies. It also includes HM Forces, the National Health Service and education Academies (3) Public corporations are companies or quasi-corporations controlled by government (4) The public sector comprises central government, local government and public corporations as defined for the UK National Accounts (5) Estimates of Civil Service employees count all home Civil Service employees  Source:  Quarterly Public Sector Employment Survey

Pupils: Disclosure of Information

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the Information Commissioner was consulted on the provisions of the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 (Disclosure of Pupil Information) (England) Regulations 2009; and what advice the Commissioner gave in respect of the regulations.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter  from Dennis Roberts, dated February 2009:
	I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking whether the Information Commissioner was consulted over the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 (Disclosure of Pupil Information) (England) Regulations 2009; and what representations the Commissioner made in respect of the proposals (258607). I am replying on behalf of the National Statistician who is away on business.
	As part of the preparation for the laying of the draft Regulations before Parliament, officials from the Office for National Statistics met with staff from the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) on 1 August 2008 to discuss their plans. The ICO indicated that it was content for the proposed disclosure of information to proceed given that the information was to be used for statistical purposes only, that it was to be authorised by Parliament and that it was to be transmitted securely.

OLYMPICS

Departmental Internet

Mark Harper: To ask the Minister for the Olympics if she will publish a copy of her Office's website accessibility plan.

Tessa Jowell: The Government's official website for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games is part of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's (DCMS) website.
	DCMS has not produced a separate website accessibility plan. This has been incorporated into the Department's Equality Scheme 2007-10 which is published on the Department's website:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/publications/3596.aspx
	In addition, DCMS have published an accessibility statement at:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/4912.aspx
	This specifies the Department's commitment to high standards of website accessibility.

Olympic Games 2012: Greater London

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what recent estimate her Office has made of the net financial effect on  (a) London and  (b) each London borough of the London 2012 Olympic Games, broken down by borough; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: The financial and economic benefits of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games are already evident. Over 3,300 people are currently working for contractors on the Olympic Park. Over 800 businesses have already won over £3.5 billion of work supplying the Olympic Delivery Authority.
	The 2012 games will continue to play an active role in meeting the challenges of the current economic environment by:
	Creating up to 75,000 supply chain opportunities—there will be opportunities for businesses across the country to get involved;
	Creating employment—with up to 11,000 people working on site at the peak and 100,000 contract jobs to stage the games;
	Opening up skills and employment opportunities for most, if not all, sectors, extending well beyond the Olympic Park and London;
	Delivering a total of 350 construction apprenticeships at the Olympic Park site.
	In the longer term, London 2012 will deliver economic benefits to East London and bring wider benefits across the UK, including:
	Long-term job creation, with up to 50,000 new permanent jobs created in the Olympic Park and surrounding area after the games;
	Through public and private investment, 10,000 - 12,000 new mixed-tenure homes in the Olympic Park site, 35 per cent. of which will be affordable housing, and over 5,000 new homes in the Olympic Village and Stratford City development;
	Creating opportunities for tourism, media, sport and many other sectors; for example, the value of the games to UK tourism is estimated to be £2.1 billion between 2007 and 2017;
	Increasing the potential for inward investment and export, including through the use of local facilities as training camps.
	The Mayor of London is responsible for maximising the impact of the 2012 games on London. The London Development Agency (LDA) is commissioning a study to evaluate the impacts, outcomes, benefits and additionality of investment in LDA 2012 games legacy programmes.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Economic and Monetary Union

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on what date the euro changeover plan of  (a) his Department and  (b) each of its agencies was last updated; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the most recent version of each plan.

Andy Burnham: The information is as follows:
	 (a) The Euro changeover plan for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport was last updated in June 2006. A copy of the DCMS changeover plan will be placed in the Library. The Department will however review their plans at a later date.
	 (b) The Royal Parks Agency (the only agency of DCMS) does not maintain a separate Euro changeover plan. Legislation relating to the Agency is included in the Department's plan.

National Lottery: Sports

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much National Lottery funding has been allocated to sporting projects in Cornwall in the last five years, broken down by lottery distributor.

Barbara Follett: The Big Lottery Fund, their legacy bodies; Awards for All, and Sport England have advised that the following funding has been allocated to sporting projects in Cornwall in the last five years for which information is available.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Financial year  BIG (and legacy bodies)  Awards For All  Sport England 
			 2003-04 0 7,280 4,409,751 
			 2004-05 3,652,418 10,970 4,123,397 
			 2005-06 846,796 16,022 755,765 
			 2006-07 470,877 25,427 813,600 
			 2007-08 0 53,545 940,006

Olympic Games 2012: Gun Sports

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding has been  (a) allocated to and  (b) provided to the training of the British Olympic shooting team for the London 2012 Olympics.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 23 February 2009
	UK Sport have advised that the British Olympic shooting team and athletes from shooting disciplines on the World Class Pathway have been allocated £1,225,350 for the period 2009-13.

Sport and Arts: South West

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to provide facilities for  (a) sporting activity and  (b) participation in the arts for young people in the South West.

Andy Burnham: The majority of Exchequer funding provided in support of these activities is channelled to local authorities via settlements from the Department for Communities and Local Government.
	DCMS works with other Departments and our network of sponsored bodies (NDPBs) to set overarching objectives relating to the sectors for which we have policy responsibility in Government. Delivery of these objectives is usually the responsibility of the lead NDPB who take forward delivery of our strategic priorities at a national and local level. As follows are examples of work taken forward in the South West region:
	 Sporting Activity
	 Free Swimming
	Local authorities across the South West have signed up to the Government's initiative to offer free swimming to both those aged 16 and under and over 60. The local authorities that have opted in to offer the scheme to both age groups have also received a share of a £10 million capital fund to spend on modernising or improving pool provision in time for the start of the two-year scheme in 2009. Those local authorities that will offer free swimming to both age groups also stand to benefit from a further £25 million capital challenge fund in both 2009-10 and 2010-11 to spend on improving pool provision.
	 5 Hours of Sport
	DCMS works with the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) to support the delivery of the PE and Sport Strategy for Young People (PESSYP) which will increase the quality and quantity of school and community based sport on offer and give young people more opportunities to be active. It builds on the success of the 2003 PE, School Sport and Club Links Strategy (PESSCL) for five-16 year olds.
	The new 5 hour offer will deliver further Government commitments announced by the Prime Minister in 2007 and set out in PSA 22 which promises to 'deliver a successful Olympic games and Paralympic games with a sustainable legacy and get more children and young people taking part in high quality PE and sport'.
	The strategy will be delivered through the two key delivery bodies, Sport England—with its focus on sport in the community, and the Youth Sport Trust—with its network of School Sport Partnerships and focus on PE and sport in schools.
	Sport England (who fund projects from Exchequer and lottery funding), have identified two projects for which funding has been provided specifically for built facilities for young people in the South West:
	£136,500 granted over the last three years to Swim Torquay Limited for extension of facilities which is heavily used for swimming lessons for young people.
	Falmouth Youth Club was awarded £300,000 for the Dracaena Centre in 2007 (this was a CIF award).
	Young people will also benefit from funding targeted to the wider community.
	In addition to built facilities, in the last five years (April 2003-to date) Sport England has invested in 216 projects in the South West. Projects which would benefit young people specifically include:
	Sport Unlimited This project is in its second year and it constitutes Sport England's part of the 5 hour sport offer.
	The Youth Sport Trust is delivering two hours of sport via PE in schools plus one hour of extra curricular sport.
	The Step into Sport programme which amounts to £770,000 focuses on young people aged 14 to 19 started three years ago. It provides opportunities for young people to become involved in sports leadership and volunteering encouraging them to continue this into later life
	 Cultural Activity
	 Participation in the Arts
	Many cultural initiatives in the South West Region are supported by Arts Council England including DAISI (Devon Arts in Schools Initiative) and The Wren Music Trust.
	 Find Your Talent
	In February 2008 the Government announced the new £25 million Find Your Talent (FYT) pathfinder programme to trial different ways of delivering a five hour cultural offer for children and young people from 0-19.
	North Somerset is one of ten Find Your Talent pathfinder areas launched in September 2008. The pathfinders, working in partnership with schools and local and national organisations over three years, will provide opportunities for children and young people to have a range of high quality arts and cultural experiences in and out of school.
	 Awards For All
	"Awards For All" is a Lottery Grants scheme for local communities. Managed by the Big Lottery Fund, in the last five years, 5381 awards in the South West, the majority of these projects will affect young people.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Apprentices

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what percentage of apprenticeship training providers funded by the Learning and Skills Council were employers in each year since 2001.

Si�n Simon: holding answer 3 February 2009
	The information on the number of employers who are apprenticeship training providers is not available. Table 1 shows the percentage of apprenticeship starts in 2005/06 to 2007/08 at each type of provider.
	Many of these organisation types such as 'Organisation In Business In Its Own Right' and 'Other Private Organisation' could be training providers or employers. It is not possible to specifically identify employers without surveying all Learning and Skills Council partnership teams, and this would not provide wholly accurate information.
	
		
			  Table 1: Percentage of apprenticeship starts in an academic year by provider type, 2005/06 to 2007/08 
			  Provider type  2005/06  2006/07  2007/08 
			 Chamber of Commerce/Trade 1.3 1.1 0.7 
			 Charitable 4.8 4.6 7.2 
			 City Technology College (1) (1) (1) 
			 External Institution 0.1 0.2 (1) 
			 General FE College incl. Tertiary 22.1 23.3 21.5 
			 Higher Education Organisation 0.2 0.2 0.2 
			 
			 Independent school or college (1) (1) (1) 
			 Local Authority 0.5 0.4 0.1 
			 Local Education Authority (LEA) 1.4 1.4 1.5 
			 Non-Charitable (1) (1) (1) 
			 Organisation in Business in its own right 62.2 59.5 55.3 
			 Other Local Authority 0.3 0.1 0.3 
			 Other Private Organisation 3.2 5.1 6.0 
			 Other Public Organisation 2.3 2.8 6.0 
			 Other Voluntary Organisation (1) (1) (1) 
			 Sixth form college 0.2 0.2 0.1 
			 Special collegeAgriculture and horticulture 1.3 1.1 1.0 
			 Special collegeArt, design and performing arts (1) (1) (1) 
			 Unknown (1) (1) (1) 
			 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 
			 
			 Total number of apprenticeship starts 175,000 184,400 224,800 
			 (1) Indicates a figure of 0% when rounded.  Notes: 1. Figures may not sum to totals due to rounding. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 0.1 per cent.  Source:  WBL ILR

Apprentices

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what arrangements there are for co-ordination between the National Apprenticeship Service and the National Employment Service in their programmes of work.

Si�n Simon: There will be a Service Level Agreement between the National Apprenticeship Service and the National Employer Service. This will outline how apprenticeship provision will be managed by the National Employer Service on behalf of the National Apprenticeship Service working with large national employers who need a one stop shop approach. The National Apprenticeship Service will have its own chief executive who will be required to work closely with the Skills Funding Agency's chief executive to deliver apprenticeships as part of a coherent strategy dealing with a wide range of employers.

Apprentices

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made of the merits of increasing the proportion of the training costs of adult apprentices paid by employers.

Si�n Simon: holding answer 9 February 2009
	It is a key principle of Government funding of adult learning that there is a shared responsibility on the part of learners, employers and the Government to contribute towards the costs of learning. The Skills Strategy White Paper 21st Century Skills: Realising our Potential (published in July 2003) set out our intention that employers and learners should contribute towards the cost of their course, in light of the returns they derive from learning. Further Education: Raising Skills, Improving Life Chances (March 2006) confirmed our intention to increase learner and/or employer fee contributions to 50 per cent. by 2010-11 for those not eligible for free provision. Lord Leitch's Review of Skills (December 2006) reaffirmed the importance for a shared responsibility to invest in skills with employers and learners asked to contribute most where they see the greatest private returns. We are therefore increasing private fee contributions for both employers and learners from 42.5 per cent. in 2008-09, to 47.5 per cent. for 2009-10 and 50 per cent. for 2010-11.
	Apprenticeship funding rates for adults therefore are lower than rates for young people aged 16-18, with employers expected to contribute to the total cost of an adult apprenticeship framework. Employer contributions may be in cash to the training provider or in kind through supporting the delivery of the training activity.

Apprentices

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps he is taking to encourage the uptake of part-time apprenticeships.

Si�n Simon: Apprenticeship frameworks are designed to meet both the skills needs of employers and individuals. Like employment in general there is no presumption that they be full-time or part-time although custom and practice will differ between employers and across sectors. Any employee should be able to apply for an apprenticeship irrespective of whether they work full or part-time and we are making special efforts to break down gender or race stereotypes in apprenticeships. Our aim is to encourage the take-up of apprenticeships. The Government are committed to rebuilding apprenticeships. Since 1997 we have witnessed a renaissance in apprenticeships from a low point of 65,000 to a record 225,000 apprenticeship starts in 2007-08. Completion rates are also at a record high with 64 per cent. successfully completing an apprenticeshipup from 27 per cent. in 1997. A remarkable achievement.

Apprentices: Cumbria

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  what percentage of people taking up apprenticeship schemes in  (a) Cumbria and  (b) Copeland constituency in each of the last five years were disabled;
	(2)  what percentage of people taking up apprenticeships in  (a) Cumbria and  (b) Copeland constituency in each of the last five years were female.

Si�n Simon: Tables 1-4 show apprenticeship starts by learning difficulty and/or disability and gender, in Cumbria local authority and Copeland constituency. Figures are presented from 2003-04 to 2007-08, the latest year for which fully audited data are available. We are also looking at schemes which will encourage employers to see the potential in recruiting disabled people for apprenticeships.
	
		
			  Table 1Apprenticeship starts in Cumbria local authority by learning difficulty and/or disability 
			  % 
			  Cumbria local authority  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Learning Difficulty and/or Disability 10 12 8 11 8 
			 No Learning Difficulty and/or Disability 87 88 92 89 91 
			 Not Known 31 
			 Total Starts 100 100 100 100 100 
			 Total Starts (Number) 2,600 2,800 2,300 2,700 2,800 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2 Apprenticeship starts in Copeland constituency by learning difficulty and/or disability 
			  % 
			  Copeland c onstituency  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Learning Difficulty and/or Disability 10 13 8 8 9 
			 No Learning Difficulty and/or Disability 88 87 92 92 91 
			 Not Known 1 
			 Total Starts 100 100 100 100 100 
			 Total Starts (Number) 410 430 320 420 440 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3 Apprenticeship starts in Cumbria local authority by  gender 
			  % 
			  Cumbria local authority  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Male 52 57 59 54 59 
			 Female 48 43 41 46 41 
			 Total Starts 100 100 100 100 100 
			 Total Starts (Number) 2,600 2,800 2,300 2,700 2,800 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 4 Apprenticeship starts in  Copeland constituency  by  gender 
			  % 
			  Copeland constituency  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Male 55 56 55 50 55 
			 Female 48 48 48 48 48 
			 Total Starts 100 100 100 100 100 
			 Total Starts (Number) 410 430 320 420 440 
			  Notes: 1. Volumes for Cumbria are rounded to the nearest hundred. 2. Volumes for Copeland constituency are rounded to the nearest ten. 3. Percentages above are based on unrounded figures. 4.  indicates a value of less than 0.5%. 5. These figures include WBL (apprenticeships only). 6. This table uses programme starts as a measure for comparative purposes. Full-year numbers are a count of the number of starts at any point during the year. Learners starting more than one course will appear more than once. 7. Gender and learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is based upon self-declaration by the learner. 8. Local Authority and Constituency are based on home postcode of the learner.  Source: WBL ILR

Apprentices: Cumbria

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many people beginning apprenticeship schemes in each of the last five years in  (a) Cumbria and  (b) Copeland constituency had been unemployed for six months or longer.

Si�n Simon: Information on the long-term employment status of people starting apprenticeships is not available. The following table shows the total number of apprenticeship starts in Cumbria local authority and Copeland constituency for 2003/04 to 2007/08 but it is not possible to break this information down in to what an apprentice was doing prior to starting their training programme.
	Since 1997 we have witnessed a renaissance in apprenticeships from a low point of 65,000 to a record 225,000 apprenticeship starts in 2007/08. Completion rates are also at a record high with 64 per cent. successfully completing an apprenticeship--up from 37 per cent. in 2004/05. A remarkable achievement.
	
		
			  Apprenticeship starts in Cumbria local authority and Copeland constituency 
			   Cumbria local authority  Copeland constituency 
			 2003/04 2,600 410 
			 2004/05 2,800 430 
			 2005/06 2,300 320 
			 2006/07 2,700 420 
			 2007/08 2,800 440 
			  Notes: 1. Volumes for Cumbria are rounded to the nearest hundred. 2. Volumes for Copeland constituency are rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Percentages above are based on unrounded figures. 4. These figures include WBL (apprenticeships only). 5. This table uses programme starts/completions as a measure for comparative purposes. Full-year numbers are a count of the number of starts/completions at any point during the year. Learners starting/completing more than one course will appear more than once. 6. Local authority and constituency are based on home postcode of the learner.  Source:  WBL ILR

Apprentices: Hertfordshire

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate his Department has made of the number of apprenticeships taken up in  (a) Hemel Hempstead and  (b) Hertfordshire in each month since January 2006, broken down by apprenticeship type.

Si�n Simon: Table 1 shows the total number of apprenticeship starts in Hertfordshire local authority from January 2006 to July 2007, by the month in which the apprenticeship was started. Figures are presented up to the end of the 2006/07 academic year, the latest year for which fully audited data is available. Information by apprenticeship type/level is too small to split by month in which the course has started.
	Numbers for Hemel Hempstead constituency are too small to split by the month in which the course has started.
	Table 2 shows the total number of apprenticeship starts in Hemel Hempstead constituency, Hertfordshire local authority and a total for all regions for the 2005/06 and 2006/07 academic years.
	
		
			  Table 1: Apprenticeship starts in Hertfordshire local authority by month of start for January 2006 to July 2007 
			  Month apprenticeship started  Total 
			  2006  
			 January 230 
			 February 180 
			 March 150 
			 April 130 
			 May 140 
			 June 90 
			 July 150 
			 August 270 
			 September 540 
			 October 240 
			 November 190 
			 December 100 
			   
			  2007  
			 January 240 
			 February 50 
			 March 150 
			 April 100 
			 May 100 
			 June 110 
			 July 140 
			  Note: Local authority is based on learner's home postcode.  Source: WBL ILR 2005/06 and 2006/07 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Apprenticeship starts in Hemel Hempstead constituency, Hertfordshire local authority and all regions 
			   2005/06  2006/07 
			   Advanced Apprenticeship (Level 3)  Apprenticeship (Level 2)  Total  Advanced Apprenticeship (Level 3)  Apprenticeship (Level 2)  Total 
			 Hemel Hempstead 70 220 280 70 200 260 
			 Hertfordshire 650 1,790 2,440 650 1,670 2,320 
			 All regions 52,130 122,850 174,980 57,020 127,410 184,430 
			  Notes: 1. Figures for advanced apprenticeships include a small number of higher level apprenticeships. 2. Figures may not sum to totals due to rounding. 3. Constituency and local authority is based on learner's home postcode.  Source: WBL ILR 2005/06 and 2006/07

Higher Education: Apprentices

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps he is taking to improve the collection of data on the progression of apprentices into higher education.

Si�n Simon: In order to improve the identification of those learners who progress from an apprenticeship into higher education we are exploring the possibility of linking administrative datasets. The early work looks promising and the Higher Education Funding Council for England is currently testing the methodology to ensure it is robust. The findings are expected to be published in 2009.
	In World Class Apprenticeships we set out the Government's intention that every apprenticeship framework has a clear pathway to higher education and this will be a requirement of our revised Apprenticeships Blueprint when it is published in 2009. This will ensure every apprentice knows there is a clear pathway to higher education if they want it.

Higher Education: Finance

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills when the commissioned reports from users of higher education were placed on his Department's website; and how these reports were publicised.

David Lammy: The commissioned reports were placed on the Department's website on 16 February. A letter was sent to all of DIUS's major higher education stakeholders from the Director General for higher education to inform them of the publication, and the sector press were informed. A feature on the reports was included in Times Higher Education on 19 February.
	The reports are part of the wider debate on the future of higher education that DIUS is currently conducting. This will lead to the publication of a Framework for the development of Higher Education during 2009.

Higher Education: Women

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of women and children who do not have a first degree.

Si�n Simon: In Quarter 4(1) 2008 an estimated 338,000 adult(2) women in England had a child but did not hold a first degree. This estimate is taken from the Labour Force Survey (LFS).
	(1) Quarter 4 covers the period 1 October to 31 December.
	(2) Women aged 19 to 59.

Skilled Workers: Sustainable Development

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the future skills needs of low carbon, resource-efficient industrial sectors.

Si�n Simon: The Department has not commissioned any specific research on skills for a low carbon resource efficient economy (LCREE), although we have consulted widely on this issue in other ways. In response to the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, for example, we jointly sponsored the Commission on Environmental Markets and Economic Performance with BERR and Defra. Further consultations are planned with lead employers in the next few months with a view to drawing cutting edge LCREE expertise into the skills system.
	The Department has reviewed a range of research reports on LCREE skills including:
	Skills for a Low Carbon Resource Efficient EconomyReview of Evidence: Defra 2008
	Energy SkillsMeeting the Challenge: a report for BERR by the Sector Skills network: 2008
	Employment Opportunities and Challenges in the context of rapid industry growth: British Wind Energy Association October 2008
	Today's InvestmentTomorrow's Asset: skills and employment in the Wind, Wave and Tidal Sector: British Wind Energy Association October 2008.
	These reports have been instrumental in helping the Department set out a strategic LCREE skills solution in the proposed low carbon industrial strategy.

Students: Coastal Areas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what proportion of people in each ward in each of the principal seaside towns of England were participating in  (a) higher and  (b) further education in each of the last three years.

Si�n Simon: Information on participation in further or higher education is not available at ward level.
	Table 1 shows enrolments in Higher Education for each local authority, for 2005/06 to 2007/08. Table 2 shows FE and Skills participation for each local authority, for 2005/06 to 2007/08, the latest year for which we have fully audited information. Information on FE and Skills participation is also available on the Data Service website, and was released alongside the post-16 education statistical first release, which was published on 18 December 2008:
	www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics
	A copy of these tables has been provided and the relevant data will be placed in the Library.
	Information is not available on the proportion of people in each local authority in further or higher education.
	
		
			  Table 1: Enrolments( 1)  by LA in England, UK Higher Education Institutions, academic years 2005/06 to 2007/08 
			  Local authority  2005/06  2006/07  2007/08 
			 City of London 430 465 520 
			 Camden 9,260 9,320 9,365 
			 Greenwich 8,710 8,720 8,770 
			 Hackney 9,945 10,065 10,220 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 6,300 6,355 6,480 
			 Islington 8,430 8,475 8,685 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 5,565 5,480 5,600 
			 Lambeth 12,330 12,415 12,730 
			 Lewisham 11,255 11,390 11,620 
			 Southwark 12,370 12,295 12,525 
			 Tower Hamlets 8,010 8,275 8,615 
			 Wandsworth 10,945 10,955 11,185 
			 Westminster 8,090 8,005 8,140 
			 Barking and Dagenham 4,510 4,735 4,910 
			 Barnet 15,390 15,490 15,685 
			 Bexley 6,420 6,500 6,710 
			 Brent 12,430 12,305 12,455 
			 Bromley 10,115 10,270 10,280 
			 Croydon 12,040 12,365 12,800 
			 Ealing 13,430 13,565 13,935 
			 Enfield 11,575 11,610 11,535 
			 Haringey 10,845 10,895 11,090 
			 Harrow 10,485 10,425 10,620 
			 Havering 5,620 5,480 5,630 
			 Hillingdon 8,230 8,330 8,400 
			 Hounslow 8,040 8,170 8,285 
			 Kingston upon Thames 6,430 6,460 6,465 
			 Merton 7,185 7,130 7,350 
			 Newham 11,335 11,565 11,710 
			 Redbridge 10,830 10,900 11,025 
			 Richmond upon Thames 7,375 7,530 7,560 
			 Sutton 5,740 5,835 6,020 
			 Waltham Forest 9,540 9,475 9,500 
			 Birmingham 32,540 32,575 32,415 
			 Coventry 9,960 9,560 10,775 
			 Dudley 7,215 7,275 7,300 
			 Sandwell 6,510 6,515 6,605 
			 Solihull 6,385 6,500 6,975 
			 Walsall 6,160 6,170 6,225 
			 Wolverhampton 7,410 7,435 7,350 
			 Knowsley 3,850 3,980 3,885 
			 Liverpool 14,850 15,360 14,670 
			 St. Helens 4,880 4,875 4,520 
			 Sefton 9,755 10,150 9,285 
			 Wirral 11,275 11,565 11,190 
			 Bolton 8,545 8,515 7,850 
			 Bury 6,330 6,240 6,065 
			 Manchester 14,420 14,440 14,140 
			 Oldham 5,945 5,935 5,835 
			 Rochdale 5,925 5,850 5,690 
			 Salford 5,360 5,280 5,090 
			 Stockport 9,250 9,105 8,725 
			 Tameside 5,055 5,115 5,060 
			 Trafford 8,385 8,240 8,025 
			 Wigan 7,810 7,890 7,195 
			 Barnsley 4,275 4,460 4,505 
			 Doncaster 5,610 5,705 5,640 
			 Rotherham 5,390 5,455 5,410 
			 Sheffield 15,150 15,565 15,750 
			 Bradford 12,805 12,580 12,465 
			 Calderdale 5,495 5,495 5,455 
			 Kirklees 11,440 11,390 11,330 
			 Leeds 21,815 22,000 21,495 
			 Wakefield 6,930 6,945 6,745 
			 Gateshead 4,895 5,150 5,195 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 8,965 9,215 8,955 
			 North Tyneside 5,905 6,065 6,145 
			 South Tyneside 3,920 3,945 3,870 
			 Sunderland 7,530 7,685 7,415 
			 Isles Of Scilly 65 50 45 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 6,625 6,090 6,090 
			 Bristol, City of 14,470 14,205 13,135 
			 North Somerset 5,895 5,685 5,675 
			 South Gloucestershire 7,380 7,325 7,445 
			 Hartlepool 2,730 2,815 2,665 
			 Middlesbrough 5,260 5,600 5,475 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 5,055 5,165 4,895 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 6,940 7,030 6,950 
			 Kingston upon Hull, City of 5,985 6,260 6,025 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 10,830 10,800 10,220 
			 North East Lincolnshire 3,180 3,255 3,105 
			 North Lincolnshire 3,630 3,760 3,635 
			 North Yorkshire 20,540 19,900 19,605 
			 York 6,660 6,625 6,325 
			 Bedfordshire 12,000 12,195 12,160 
			 Luton 5,890 5,790 5,840 
			 Buckinghamshire 18,070 18,000 17,965 
			 Milton Keynes 7,810 7,470 7,570 
			 Derbyshire 19,530 19,535 19,540 
			 Derby 7,470 7,315 7,200 
			 Dorset 11,300 11,175 11,075 
			 Poole 3,900 3,890 3,845 
			 Bournemouth 4,520 4,775 4,675 
			 Durham 13,125 13,575 13,305 
			 Darlington 3,240 3,345 3,260 
			 East Sussex 14,515 14,510 14,555 
			 Brighton and Hove 9,800 9,955 9,940 
			 Hampshire 36,900 36,865 36,160 
			 Portsmouth 5,065 5,225 5,005 
			 Southampton 6,330 6,310 5,885 
			 Leicestershire 18,370 18,415 18,730 
			 Leicester 10,270 10,410 10,590 
			 Rutland 1,245 1,255 1,335 
			 Staffordshire 24,400 24,290 24,230 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 5,490 5,575 5,620 
			 Wiltshire 13,135 13,160 13,175 
			 Swindon 4,165 4,155 4,115 
			 Bracknell Forest 2,975 2,965 2,990 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 4,770 4,810 4,790 
			 West Berkshire 4,570 4,650 4,645 
			 Reading 5,120 5,000 4,990 
			 Slough 4,070 4,090 4,220 
			 Wokingham 6,470 6,475 6,360 
			 Cambridgeshire 19,360 19,480 17,240 
			 Peterborough 4,030 3,945 4,080 
			 Cheshire 23,985 23,760 22,505 
			 Halton 3,080 3,275 3,030 
			 Warrington 5,795 5,940 5,845 
			 Devon 21,885 22,105 21,345 
			 Plymouth 7,765 7,615 7,720 
			 Torbay 3,280 3,255 3,095 
			 Essex 35,190 34,805 34,910 
			 Southend-on-Sea 4,360 4,320 4,290 
			 Thurrock 2,880 2,900 2,990 
			 Herefordshire 5,175 5,215 5,025 
			 Worcestershire 16,630 16,605 16,195 
			 Kent 40,505 41,070 40,995 
			 Medway 6,770 6,940 7,050 
			 Lancashire 40,175 40,855 33,950 
			 Blackburn and Darwen 4,265 4,280 3,660 
			 Blackpool 3,045 3,055 2,515 
			 Nottinghamshire 20,745 20,395 20,225 
			 Nottingham 7,355 7,195 7,005 
			 Shropshire 8,790 9,185 8,790 
			 Telford and Wrekin 4,225 4,190 4,165 
			 Cornwall 15,265 15,540 15,390 
			 Cumbria 16,075 15,860 13,820 
			 Gloucestershire 17,075 16,690 16,690 
			 Hertfordshire 34,745 34,760 34,920 
			 Isle of Wight 3,445 3,380 3,210 
			 Lincolnshire 17,950 18,340 18,140 
			 Norfolk 20,135 21,490 20,180 
			 Northamptonshire 17,885 18,035 18,610 
			 Northumberland 9,590 9,805 9,530 
			 Oxfordshire 22,975 23,435 23,190 
			 Somerset 14,045 13,930 13,885 
			 Suffolk 15,585 16,285 18,570 
			 Surrey 35,060 35,140 34,990 
			 Warwickshire 15,795 15,550 17,125 
			 West Sussex 20,370 20,325 20,195 
			 Total England 1,572,185 1,580,155 1,561,800 
			 (1) Covers enrolments to all levels of study and of all domiciles.  Notes: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded to the nearest five, so components may not sum to totals. Local Authority is based on the home postcode of the learner.  Learners with missing/invalid postcodes and learners with a postcode outside of England are not included in these figures.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: FE and Skills Participation by local authority, 2005/06 to 2007/08 
			  Region  Local authority  LA code  2005/06  2006/07  2007/08 
			  North East Darlington 841 9,800 8,700 8,800 
			  Durham 840 55,600 50,500 50,300 
			  Gateshead 390 22,300 17,800 18,000 
			  Hartlepool 805 11,700 9,200 9,100 
			  Middlesbrough 806 19,100 15,800 15,000 
			  Newcastle Upon Tyne 391 32,100 24,600 23,600 
			  North Tyneside 392 22,700 18,600 18,100 
			  Northumberland 929 33,900 28,100 27,900 
			  Redcar and Cleveland 807 18,400 16,800 16,900 
			  South Tyneside 393 20,300 19,800 18,200 
			  Stockton-On-Tees 808 24,400 19,400 19,500 
			  Sunderland 394 31,000 26,200 26,400 
			  Total  301,300 255,600 251,700 
			   
			  North West Blackburn with Darwen 889 18,300 13,600 13,500 
			  Blackpool 890 14,200 12,800 13,300 
			  Bolton 350 24,200 22,000 23,000 
			  Bury 351 17,600 14,700 14,800 
			  Cheshire 875 76,100 61,400 55,800 
			  Cumbria 909 39,700 43,300 40,600 
			  Halton 876 12,400 9,100 9,300 
			  Knowsley 340 16,500 14,300 14,100 
			  Lancashire 888 127,900 109,400 106,500 
			  Liverpool 341 51,500 47,800 45,000 
			  Manchester 352 53,000 42,200 44,400 
			  Oldham 353 23,500 20,000 21,800 
			  Rochdale 354 21,400 18,000 17,400 
			  Salford 355 20,400 17,500 19,200 
			  Sefton 343 28,100 22,800 21,000 
			  St Helens 342 16,300 12,700 14,300 
			  Stockport 356 26,300 21,300 18,900 
			  Tameside 357 19,500 16,600 18,300 
			  Trafford 358 18,500 15,400 15,200 
			  Warrington 877 17,600 15,600 13,100 
			  Wigan 359 27,200 24,700 26,800 
			  Wirral 344 26,100 22,000 24,400 
			  Total  696,400 597,300 590,500 
			   
			  Yorkshire and The Humber Barnsley 370 25,500 19,800 21,700 
			  Bradford 380 47,600 41,200 38,800 
			  Calderdale 381 18,900 15,700 15,600 
			  Doncaster 371 31,100 26,100 28,000 
			  East Riding of Yorkshire 811 39,000 33,200 30,700 
			  Kingston upon Hull 810 32,300 27,100 28,300 
			  Kirklees 382 37,700 32,900 33,700 
			  Leeds 383 65,400 56,700 54,900 
			  North East Lincolnshire 812 19,700 17,100 16,900 
			  North Lincolnshire 813 17,400 15,900 15,300 
			  North Yorkshire 815 58,600 49,400 50,400 
			  Rotherham 372 22,900 20,100 19,900 
			  Sheffield 373 52,600 43,600 43,000 
			  Wakefield 384 31,600 27,000 27,300 
			  York 816 15,500 10,200 10,900 
			  Total  515,800 436,100 435,500 
			   
			  East Midlands Derby 831 29,300 21,200 21,100 
			  Derbyshire 830 85,000 62,700 61,100 
			  Leicester 856 40,200 34,400 33,900 
			  Leicestershire 855 58,300 46,900 45,300 
			  Lincolnshire 925 55,600 44,000 48,100 
			  Northamptonshire 928 55,200 49,800 49,200 
			  Nottingham 892 32,200 28,300 26,800 
			  Nottinghamshire 891 76,100 60,700 59,000 
			  Rutland 857 2,700 3,700 3,800 
			  Total  434,600 351,600 348,400 
			   
			  West Midlands Birmingham 330 125,100 104,200 99,500 
			  Coventry 331 35,200 29,000 29,000 
			  Dudley 332 39,200 30,700 28,700 
			  Herefordshire 884 15,000 12,800 13,000 
			  Sandwell 333 35,600 27,700 27,300 
			  Shropshire 893 30,400 25,700 25,900 
			  Solihull 334 18,800 15,600 15,000 
			  Staffordshire 860 72,200 71,600 68,100 
			  Stoke-On-Trent 861 28,100 24,600 25,900 
			  Telford and Wrekin 894 15,700 14,500 14,700 
			  Walsall 335 26,300 22,100 22,300 
			  Warwickshire 937 46,600 37,900 37,100 
			  Wolverhampton 336 29,100 25,200 24,600 
			  Worcestershire 885 50,200 43,300 42,400 
			  Total  567,300 484,700 473,500 
			   
			  East of England Bedfordshire 820 36,500 31,800 30,600 
			  Cambridgeshire 873 51,900 45,600 44,500 
			  Essex 881 102,700 91,600 89,600 
			  Hertfordshire 919 69,300 58,400 59,700 
			  Luton 821 23,200 19,700 20,200 
			  Norfolk 926 62,700 62,800 66,700 
			  Peterborough 874 16,200 15,300 15,500 
			  Southend on Sea 882 14,200 13,100 13,200 
			  Suffolk 935 56,200 44,500 47,900 
			  Thurrock 883 10,900 10,100 10,500 
			  Total  443,600 392,800 398,400 
			   
			  Inner London Camden 202 18,500 16,000 15,200 
			  City Of London 201 700 600 600 
			  Hackney 204 24,300 22,200 21,700 
			  Hammersmith and Fulham 205 15,600 13,600 12,200 
			  Haringey 309 25,600 22,600 21,700 
			  Islington 206 18,000 19,600 17,000 
			  Kensington and Chelsea 207 11,400 9,400 9,100 
			  Lambeth 208 32,100 31,700 29,500 
			  Lewisham 209 25,000 22,400 22,000 
			  Newham 316 33,800 30,800 31,400 
			  Southwark 210 25,900 23,000 23,600 
			  Tower Hamlets 211 21,800 20,000 19,100 
			  Wandsworth 212 24,500 22,700 22,100 
			  Westminster 213 17,300 14,300 14,000 
			  Total  294,500 268,800 259,200 
			   
			  Outer London Barking and Dagenham 301 15,800 14,100 14,900 
			  Barnet 302 28,900 26,400 23,600 
			  Bexley 303 16,800 15,900 16,400 
			  Brent 304 28,200 24,600 25,500 
			  Bromley 305 24,300 21,100 20,400 
			  Croydon 306 31,600 29,400 24,200 
			  Ealing 307 25,500 21,900 20,900 
			  Enfield 308 23,100 20,200 21,300 
			  Greenwich 203 18,900 18,200 18,100 
			  Harrow 310 18,500 16,700 17,300 
			  Havering 311 20,700 18,400 16,800 
			  Hillingdon 312 16,800 15,300 15,900 
			  Hounslow 313 19,700 19,000 18,600 
			  Kingston Upon Thames 314 11,300 10,400 9,900 
			  Merton 315 14,100 14,800 15,400 
			  Redbridge 317 20,500 18,300 18,000 
			  Richmond Upon Thames 318 15,100 14,900 13,400 
			  Sutton 319 16,400 15,000 14,100 
			  Waltham Forest 320 26,900 24,800 24,900 
			  Total  393,300 359,300 349,800 
			   
			  Inner and Outer London Total  687,800 628,100 609,000 
			   
			  South East Bracknell Forest 867 9,100 8,500 8,500 
			  Brighton and Hove 846 24,200 18,600 19,200 
			  Buckinghamshire 825 35,300 31,500 29,600 
			  East Sussex 845 42,600 35,300 33,400 
			  Hampshire 850 118,100 98,500 101,600 
			  Isle Of Wight 921 10,600 10,600 10,300 
			  Kent 886 103,900 87,100 84,100 
			  Medway 887 18,700 17,200 18,600 
			  Milton Keynes 826 20,300 19,300 18,000 
			  Oxfordshire 931 41,700 33,300 35,100 
			  Portsmouth 851 19,400 16,900 17,500 
			  Reading 870 12,700 10,400 9,800 
			  Slough 871 11,200 10,200 8,400 
			  Southampton 852 20,400 18,400 18,600 
			  Surrey 936 57,400 63,200 59,400 
			  West Berkshire 869 11,800 8,900 8,700 
			  West Sussex 938 66,900 59,000 56,900 
			  Windsor and Maidenhead 868 9,800 8,300 7,800 
			  Wokingham 872 14,400 13,000 12,500 
			  Total  648,400 568,100 558,000 
			   
			  South West Bath and North East Somerset 800 11,900 10,000 10,400 
			  Bournemouth 837 16,000 13,500 13,700 
			  Bristol 801 41,300 33,300 32,000 
			  Cornwall (Includes Isles of Scilly) 908 70,000 55,300 53,200 
			  Devon 878 62,400 57,300 55,300 
			  Dorset 835 33,600 28,800 28,800 
			  Gloucestershire 916 49,500 41,100 41,100 
			  North Somerset 802 19,600 15,900 14,300 
			  Plymouth 879 27,600 21,100 21,600 
			  Poole 836 12,400 9,100 8,900 
			  Somerset 933 55,500 48,800 46,600 
			  South Gloucestershire 803 19,500 15,900 16,100 
			  Swindon 866 16,600 18,600 18,500 
			  Torbay 880 11,600 10,300 10,600 
			  Wiltshire 865 35,900 33,500 34,100 
			  Total  483,400 412,500 405,300 
			   
			  England Total  4,778,600 4,126,800 4,070,300 
			   
			  Other   101,900 81,200 77,600 
			   
			  Grand total   4,880,400 4,208,000 4,147,900 
			  Notes: 1. Volumes are rounded to the nearest hundred. 2. These figures include FE, University for Industry, WBL (including apprenticeships, Entry to Employment), Train to Gain and Adult Safeguarded Learning. 3. Final 2007/08 data will be published in March 2009. 4. This table uses learner volumes as a measure for comparative purposes. Full-year numbers are a count of the number of learners that participated at any point during the year. 5. Learners that are included in different data collections e.g. a learner undertaking an apprenticeship and a Train to Gain qualification, will be counted twice in this table. 6. Local authority is based on the home postcode of the learner, for learners participating in England.

Students: Finance

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what financial support his Department offers to part-time students with children.

David Lammy: This Government were the first to introduce statutory support for part-time undergraduate students in 2000. In 2004/05 we introduced a package comprising two non-repayable, income assessed grants; a grant towards fee costs and a course grant to pay towards study costs such as travel and books. In 2006/07 we created the most generous package so far for part-time students in England, increasing the maximum fee grant by 27 per cent. and raising the income threshold for receiving support by more than the rate of inflation.
	In the current academic year the maximum course grant is 255 and the maximum fee grant is 1,180. Single students with an annual household income of below 16,090 may be eligible for full fee and course grants; those with incomes up to 26,825 may be eligible for partial grants. These income thresholds are increased by 2,000 if the student has one dependent child, by 1,000 for each subsequent dependent child and by a further 2,000 if the student lives with a partner. Additional discretionary support, via the Access to Learning Fund, administered by the higher education institutions, may also be available to help part-time undergraduates with their fees, child care and other costs.

Vocational Training: Leeds

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many people took a Skills for Life qualification in Leeds West constituency in each year since 2005.

Si�n Simon: Table 1 shows Skills for Life participation figures in Leeds West for the academic years 2005-06 to 2007-08.
	
		
			  Skills for Life Participation in Leeds West constituency 
			   Number 
			 2005-06 1,760 
			 2006-07 2,860 
			 2007-08 2,990 
			  Notes: 1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. 2. The table includes learners participating on target-bearing and non-target-bearing Skills for Life qualifications.  Source:  Individual Learner Records for: FE, WBL, ASL and Ufi

Young People: Unemployed

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many people aged 16 to 24 years were not in education, employment or training in each local education authority area in each year from 1997 to 2002.

Si�n Simon: The following table shows estimates of the numbers and percentage of people aged(1) 16 to 24 not in education, employment or training (NEET) for local education authorities (LEAs) in England for 2000 to 2002.
	Information is only available on young people who are NEET by local education authority for 2000 onwards. These estimates are from the Annual Local Area Labour Force Survey (ALALFS), which began in March 1999. Similar information for local areas is not available prior to this date. Although the ALALFS was conducted in 1999, due to the different way in which information was collected, estimates of NEETs are not comparable with later years and so are not provided.
	(1) Age used is the respondent's academic age, which is defined as their age at the preceding 31 August.
	
		
			  Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) by LEA (ages 16-24) 
			   Number  Percentage 
			   2000  2001  2002  2000  2001  2002 
			 England 686,000 704,000 730,000 13 14 14 
			
			 Barking and Dagenham 5,000 5,000 6,000 23 21 25 
			 Barnet 5,000 3,000 4,000 10 9 13 
			 Barnsley 5,000 5,000 6,000 26 21 25 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 1,000 2,000 1,000 8 7 6 
			 Bedfordshire 4,000 4,000 4,000 13 12 8 
			 Bexley 2,000 3,000 3,000 12 13 11 
			 Birmingham 23,000 25,000 22,000 20 22 17 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 4,000 4,000 3,000 20 20 19 
			 Blackpool 3,000 3,000 2,000 22 16 15 
			 Bolton 6,000 4,000 4,000 19 12 13 
			 Bournemouth 1,000 2,000 2,000 7 9 9 
			 Bracknell Forest 1,000 2,000 1,000 9 14 9 
			 Bradford 10,000 13,000 13,000 19 23 21 
			 Brent 7,000 5,000 4,000 19 11 10 
			 Brighton and Hove 3,000 3,000 4,000 10 9 11 
			 Bristol 5,000 4,000 5,000 11 8 12 
			 Bromley 4,000 3,000 3,000 13 13 13 
			 Buckinghamshire 2,000 4,000 6,000 4 8 11 
			 Bury 3,000 3,000 4,000 16 15 18 
			 Calderdale 4,000 3,000 3,000 19 18 15 
			 Cambridgeshire 6,000 8,000 5,000 11 14 10 
			 Camden 3,000 3,000 4,000 12 15 13 
			 Cheshire 9,000 10,000 6,000 15 15 9 
			 Cornwall 6,000 6,000 5,000 13 13 13 
			 Coventry 5,000 4,000 6,000 16 10 15 
			 Croydon 5,000 5,000 5,000 15 14 13 
			 Cumbria 4,000 6,000 6,000 10 12 14 
			 Darlington 2,000 2,000 2,000 20 16 17 
			 Derby 4,000 4,000 5,000 13 15 18 
			 Derbyshire 9,000 11,000 11,000 13 15 16 
			 Devon 8,000 6,000 7,000 15 12 13 
			 Doncaster 8,000 6,000 8,000 23 19 25 
			 Dorset 3,000 4,000 3,000 9 11 8 
			 Dudley 4,000 7,000 4,000 12 18 11 
			 Durham 10,000 8,000 9,000 20 17 19 
			 Ealing 7,000 5,000 4,000 19 15 9 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 3,000 3,000 3,000 11 11 12 
			 East Sussex 5,000 4,000 5,000 11 10 12 
			 Enfield 2,000 3,000 6,000 5 11 22 
			 Essex 11,000 13,000 23,000 9 11 19 
			 Gateshead 4,000 3,000 4,000 18 16 18 
			 Gloucestershire 2,000 6,000 7,000 5 10 12 
			 Greenwich 4,000 4,000 4,000 17 15 19 
			 Hackney 4,000 8,000 3,000 18 29 12 
			 Halton 2,000 4,000 3,000 18 27 21 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 2,000 2,000 2,000 10 10 11 
			 Hampshire 10,000 9,000 10,000 10 8 10 
			 Haringey 6,000 6,000 5,000 25 19 21 
			 Harrow 2,000 2,000 1,000 9 9 3 
			 Hartlepool 2,000 3,000 3,000 23 26 23 
			 Havering 1,000 3,000 3,000 7 12 10 
			 Herefordshire 2,000 1,000 2,000 10 8 15 
			 Hertfordshire 9,000 9,000 8,000 9 9 9 
			 Hillingdon 4,000 3,000 3,000 18 11 10 
			 Hounslow 2,000 3,000 3,000 8 10 12 
			 Isle of Wight 2,000 2,000 3,000 18 17 17 
			 Islington 4,000 5,000 4,000 17 20 18 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 1,000 2,000 2,000 8 13 9 
			 Kent 13,000 17,000 18,000 11 14 13 
			 Kingston upon Hull 6,000 8,000 6,000 18 23 16 
			 Kingston upon Thames 1,000 1,000 2,000 5 7 9 
			 Kirklees 8,000 7,000 8,000 17 15 19 
			 Knowsley 3,000 4,000 4,000 17 25 22 
			 Lambeth 3,000 3,000 5,000 8 8 16 
			 Lancashire 14,000 14,000 13,000 13 13 12 
			 Leeds 6,000 9,000 7,000 7 10 8 
			 Leicester 6,000 5,000 7,000 14 13 16 
			 Leicestershire 4,000 5,000 5,000 7 8 8 
			 Lewisham 4,000 5,000 5,000 13 16 16 
			 Lincolnshire 8,000 7,000 9,000 13 12 14 
			 Liverpool 11,000 9,000 12,000 19 17 20 
			 Luton 5,000 4,000 5,000 21 14 17 
			 Manchester 8,000 11,000 11,000 13 17 20 
			 Medway 3,000 4,000 4,000 10 14 14 
			 Merton 3,000 1,000 2,000 13 7 13 
			 Middlesbrough 5,000 3,000 4,000 25 21 22 
			 Milton Keynes 3,000 2,000 3,000 12 8 11 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 5,000 5,000 6,000 15 16 14 
			 Newham 9,000 9,000 9,000 24 22 23 
			 Norfolk 8,000 9,000 9,000 11 13 12 
			 North East Lincolnshire 4,000 4,000 4,000 18 21 22 
			 North Lincolnshire 3,000 2,000 3,000 18 15 16 
			 North Somerset 1,000 2,000 2,000 4 10 11 
			 North Tyneside 4,000 5,000 3,000 19 22 14 
			 North Yorkshire 4,000 4,000 5,000 11 8 11 
			 Northamptonshire 9,000 7,000 6,000 15 11 12 
			 Northumberland 3,000 5,000 5,000 12 17 19 
			 Nottingham 7,000 6,000 6,000 19 16 13 
			 Nottinghamshire 10,000 10,000 10,000 13 14 13 
			 Oldham 5,000 5,000 5,000 24 21 22 
			 Oxfordshire 6,000 6,000 5,000 8 10 8 
			 Peterborough 3,000 3,000 4,000 16 16 18 
			 Plymouth 3,000 5,000 5,000 10 19 15 
			 Poole 2,000 2,000 2,000 13 12 14 
			 Portsmouth 3,000 3,000 3,000 10 10 11 
			 Reading 2,000 3,000 3,000 9 13 12 
			 Redbridge 3,000 5,000 4,000 11 18 16 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 3,000 4,000 3,000 22 25 22 
			 Richmond upon Thames 1,000 1,000 1,000 7 10 7 
			 Rochdale 5,000 4,000 5,000 22 18 21 
			 Rotherham 3,000 5,000 5,000 12 18 16 
			 Rutland (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) 
			 Salford 4,000 7,000 5,000 16 22 18 
			 Sandwell 7,000 5,000 6,000 22 17 20 
			 Sefton 4,000 4,000 5,000 17 14 16 
			 Sheffield 8,000 8,000 10,000 14 14 15 
			 Shropshire 4,000 3,000 2,000 15 11 9 
			 Slough 2,000 3,000 2,000 10 12 14 
			 Solihull 2,000 3,000 2,000 11 11 7 
			 Somerset 5,000 3,000 5,000 11 6 11 
			 South Gloucestershire 2,000 1,000 2,000 8 6 7 
			 South Tyneside 4,000 4,000 4,000 23 20 20 
			 Southampton 4,000 3,000 5,000 11 9 12 
			 Southend on Sea 3,000 3,000 2,000 18 19 15 
			 Southwark 5,000 5,000 5,000 18 19 18 
			 St Helens 4,000 2,000 2,000 20 12 12 
			 Staffordshire 8,000 6,000 9,000 11 8 11 
			 Stockport 2,000 2,000 2,000 8 10 7 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 3,000 2,000 4,000 18 13 22 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 5,000 5,000 5,000 18 15 19 
			 Suffolk 6,000 10,000 7,000 10 16 11 
			 Sunderland 8,000 7,000 4,000 24 21 12 
			 Surrey 6,000 9,000 7,000 6 9 8 
			 Sutton 2,000 2,000 1,000 16 8 7 
			 Swindon 3,000 2,000 1,000 15 9 7 
			 Tameside 3,000 3,000 3,000 13 14 13 
			 Telford and Wrekin 3,000 2,000 3,000 16 14 13 
			 Thurrock 2,000 2,000 2,000 12 12 12 
			 Torbay 2,000 2,000 2,000 18 17 13 
			 Tower Hamlets 8,000 9,000 10,000 21 22 25 
			 Trafford 3,000 3,000 3,000 12 11 13 
			 Wakefield 7,000 5,000 5,000 21 15 14 
			 Walsall 4,000 5,000 5,000 13 17 18 
			 Waltham Forest 4,000 5,000 6,000 12 18 21 
			 Wandsworth 2,000 4,000 5,000 7 13 16 
			 Warrington 3,000 3,000 3,000 16 17 16 
			 Warwickshire 7,000 5,000 7,000 14 11 16 
			 West Berkshire 1,000 1,000 1,000 9 7 7 
			 West Sussex 5,000 4,000 7,000 8 6 10 
			 Westminster 3,000 4,000 3,000 12 13 14 
			 Wigan 6,000 6,000 5,000 18 18 15 
			 Wiltshire 5,000 2,000 3,000 13 4 7 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 2,000 1,000 2,000 13 11 13 
			 Wirral 6,000 4,000 5,000 21 13 16 
			 Wokingham 2,000 2,000 1,000 9 11 7 
			 Wolverhampton 6,000 6,000 6,000 19 20 18 
			 Worcestershire 5,000 4,000 5,000 12 10 9 
			 York 2,000 2,000 2,000 8 9 7 
			 (1) Figures have been suppressed where the sample size is too small.  Source: Annual Local Area Labour Force Survey

WORK AND PENSIONS

Children: Day Care

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent research his Department has undertaken into the average hourly costs of childcare in  (a) London and  (b) the UK for different age groups of children.

Kitty Ussher: The Department for Work and Pensions regularly collects information on the hourly child care costs, by region and age of child, through two surveys: the Families and Children Study and the Family Resources Survey.
	The Families and Children Study is a longitudinal survey of about 7,000 families with dependent children in Great Britain. The Family Resources Survey collects information on the incomes and circumstances of private households in the United Kingdom.
	Research is also conducted by the Department for Children, Schools and Families to assess the hourly costs of childcare, by region and age of child, in England. The Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey is a repeated cross sectional survey of childcare and early years providers. The Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents is a repeated cross sectional survey of approximately 7,200 parents.

Children: Maintenance

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many orders for the confiscation of  (a) driving licences and  (b) travel documents were made by the Child Support Agency in (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08;
	(2)  how many applications the Child Support Agency made to the courts for the confiscation of  (a) driving licences and  (b) travel documents in (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08;
	(3)  how many applications from the Child Support Agency for the confiscation of  (a) a driving licence and  (b) travel documents were refused by the courts in (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08;
	(4)  how many served orders for the confiscation of  (a) a driving licence and  (b) travel documents resulted in the full payment of child support arrears in (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08.

Kitty Ussher: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have therefore asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
	and
	and
	and
	How many served orders for the confiscation of (a) a driving licence and (b) travel documents resulted in the full payment of child support arrears in (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08.
	The entire system of child maintenance, including the Child Support Agency, is, as of 1 November 2008, the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
	Information on the number of enforcement actions undertaken by the Agency is published in table 21 of the Quarterly Summary of Statistics and is available in the House of Commons Library and online at:
	http://www.childmaintenance.org/publications/statistics.html.
	Currently, under Section 39A of the Child Support Act 1991, the Commission may apply to a magistrates' court or sheriff to impose a sanction in cases where other legal enforcement action has failed. It is up to the courts to decide which, if either, of the available sanctions is most appropriate. Those sanctions are driving licence disqualification or a committal sentence; the courts do not currently have the power to confiscate travel documents in child support cases.
	In the last two years the courts issued 505 suspended or full committal sentences, and 19 suspended or full driving licence disqualifications in relation to child maintenance cases.
	The Commission may make representations to the court as to which sanction it considers appropriate in the circumstances but we do not keep a record of how many times, or in what proportion of cases, this right has been exercised. The courts issued four full driving licence disqualifications in 2006-07 and five in 2007-08. Of these, 66% showed an improvement in the debt figure owed, with two cases paying off the full amount owed to their children.
	Sections 27 to 30 of the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008 enables the Commission to make an application to the court for a specific sanction. The available sanctions will be driving licence disqualification, imprisonment, passport confiscation or imposition of a curfew, the latter two of which will be new powers for the courts. These powers are not yet commenced.
	The Welfare Reform Bill 2009 contains powers to enable the Commission, without application to the court, to disqualify non-resident parents who wilfully refuse to maintain their children from holding or obtaining a passport or driving licence.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Council Tax Benefits: Winchester

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many outstanding unprocessed  (a) council tax benefit and  (b) housing benefit claims there were in Winchester in each quarter of the last three years; and what the average number of days taken to process (i) council tax benefit and (ii) housing benefit applications was in Winchester in each quarter of the last three years.

Kitty Ussher: The available information is in the following tables.
	
		
			  Total number of housing benefit and council tax benefit claims outstanding on the last day of the quarter in Winchester city council (ie claims where a decision on outcome is still to be made) 
			   Q1  Q2  Q3  Q4 
			 2005-06 133 199 (1) 148 
			 2006-07 181 149 95 109 
			 2007-08 110 110 46 94 
		
	
	
		
			  Average number of calendar days taken to process council tax benefit applications by Winchester city council 
			   Q1  Q2  Q3  Q4 
			 2005-06 28 27 23 23 
			 2006-07 20 19 17 14 
			 2007-08 16 16 16 16 
		
	
	
		
			  Average number of calendar days taken to process housing benefit applications by Winchester city council 
			   Q1  Q2  Q3  Q4 
			 2005-06 28 26 24 23 
			 2006-07 20 20 17 14 
			 2007-08 17 16 17 17 
			 (1)( )The information for the third quarter of 2005-06 was not available.  Note s : 1. Outstanding claims figures cannot be split between housing benefit and council tax benefit. 2. Housing benefit and council tax benefit claim processing times are measured in calendar days from the day a claim is received to the date a decision is made. 3. Claim processing performance data is supplied to DWP by local authorities and is un-audited.

Crisis Loans

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people received a crisis loan in each  (a) region and  (b) JobCentre Plus district in each of the last five years.

Kitty Ussher: The available information is provided in the following tables.
	
		
			  Crisis loan initial awards by region and year 
			  Region  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 East of England 70,540 74,390 92,850 111,650 
			 East Midlands 40,640 34,720 47,240 67,850 
			 London 109,910 109,260 128,190 135,280 
			 North East 52,410 53,950 65,280 110,010 
			 North West 155,770 157,140 170,030 240,780 
			 Scotland 209,260 223,600 219,830 266,310 
			 South East 123,480 122,500 104,320 177,740 
			 South West 54,130 56,830 62,120 67,100 
			 Wales 48,960 54,500 51,160 79,730 
			 West Midlands 60,970 52,780 50,200 76,000 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 74,290 76,320 80,700 98,630 
		
	
	
		
			  Jobcentre Plus social fund budget area (ordered by region)  Crisis loan initial awards in 2007-08 
			  East of England  
			 Essex 36,270 
			 Norwich Benefit Delivery Centre 75,380 
			   
			  East Midlands  
			 East Midlands North 31,400 
			 South East Midlands 36,450 
			   
			  London  
			 Central and East London 40,060 
			 London South 46,440 
			 North and North East London 24,580 
			   
			  West London 24,200 
			   
			  North East  
			 Northumbria 35,470 
			 South Tyne and Wear Valley 46,350 
			 Tees Valley 28,190 
			   
			  North West  
			 Chorlton Benefit Delivery Centre 140,560 
			 Greater Liverpool and Cheshire 100,220 
			   
			  Scotland  
			 Inverness Benefit Delivery Centre 95,780 
			 Springburn Benefit Delivery Centre 170,530 
			   
			  South East  
			 Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Surrey 64,310 
			 Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent and Sussex 113,430 
			   
			  South West  
			 South West Central 67,100 
			   
			  Wales  
			 Llanelli Benefit Delivery Centre 34,330 
			 South East Wales 45,400 
			   
			  West Midlands  
			 West Midlands Social Fund 76,000 
			   
			  Yorkshire and Humberside  
			 Bradford 28,860 
			 Sheffield 69,770 
			  Notes: 1. Regions are Government office regions. Data by region are available only from April 2004. Awards are recorded in the region where they are administered. Until January 2005, a small area of the East of England region was administered for social fund purposes from a district within the London region. Until March 2005, a small area of the East Midlands region was administered for social fund purposes from a district within the North West region. 2. In recent years there have been many changes to the boundaries of Jobcentre Plus districts. In some cases, a district has been split and the parts merged with other districts. For the districts involved in such a situation it is not possible to give comparable data for the last five years. The last split took place in August 2006. Since then some districts have merged, so to provide data for the year 2007-08, it has been organised on the basis of the current Jobcentre Plus social fund budget area structure. 3. Figures are for awards, not for the number of people who received an award. (Some people received more than one award.) 4. Figures are for initial awards only. Awards made after review are not included. 5. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: DWP Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System.

Crisis Loans

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people  (a) applied for and  (b) received a crisis loan in England and Wales in each of the last five years, broken down by the smallest administrative area for which figures are available.

Kitty Ussher: The available information is provided in the following tables:
	
		
			  Crisis loan applications received in England and Wales  by region and year 
			  Region  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 East of England 89,930 97,440 118,400 167,620 
			 East Midlands 47,060 41,300 59,290 104,370 
			 London 150,080 148,840 171,620 183,790 
			 North East 67,960 72,140 87,770 157,910 
			 North West 205,750 203,960 217,670 331,960 
			 South East 149,670 149,330 126,800 238,940 
			 South West 69,790 70,350 83,210 97,470 
			 Wales 67,160 73,670 72,730 124,140 
			 West Midlands 82,110 73,910 76,160 140,110 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 101,510 109,150 114,180 159,310 
		
	
	
		
			  Crisis loan initial awards made i n England and Wales  by region and year 
			  Region  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 East of England 70,540 74,390 92,850 111,650 
			 East Midlands 40,640 34,720 47,240 67,850 
			 London 109,910 109,260 128,190 135,280 
			 North East 52,410 53,950 65,280 110,010 
			 North West 155,770 157,140 170,030 240,780 
			 South East 123,480 122,500 104,320 177,740 
			 South West 54,130 56,830 62,120 67,100 
			 Wales 48,960 54,500 51,160 79,730 
			 West Midlands 60,970 52,780 50,200 76,000 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 74,290 76,320 80,700 98,630 
			  Notes: 1. Regions are Government office regions. Data by region are available only from April 2004. Applications and awards are recorded in the region where they are administered. Until January 2005, a small area of the East of England region was administered for social fund purposes from a district within the London region. Until March 2005, a small area of the East Midlands region was administered for social fund purposes from a district within the North West region. 2. In recent years there have been many changes to the boundaries of Jobcentre Plus districts. In some cases, a district has been split and the parts merged with other districts. For the districts involved in such a situation it is not possible to give comparable data for the last five years. The smallest administrative area for which comparable data is available (for the last four rather than five years) is region. 3. Figures are for applications received, not for the number of people who made an application, and for awards made, not the number of people who received an award. (Some people made more than one application or received more than one award.) 4. Figures are for initial awards only. Awards made after review are not included. 5. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: DWP Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System.

Departmental Recruitment

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many new recruits his Department employed in  (a) 2005-06,  (b) 2006-07,  (c) 2007-08 and  (d) 2008-09; how many of these were taken on as (i) permanent, (ii) temporary and (iii) agency staff; and what estimate he has made of the equivalent figures for (A) 2009-10 and (B) 2010-11.

Jonathan R Shaw: The following table shows the total number of individuals recruited in each of the categories for the years 2005-06 to 2007-08 and until December 2008 for the year 2008-09. The figures cover the core Department and its Agencies.
	
		
			  Staff category  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 ( 1) 2008-09 
			 Permanent 4,694 4,618 3,814 3,428 
			 Temporary 6,027 4,613 2,579 3,732 
			 Agency 437 344 667 923 
			 Total 11,158 9,575 7,060 8,083 
			 (1) At December 2008.  Notes: For 2005-06 and 2006-07 temporary staff includes all fixed term appointments and staff on short term contracts. For 2007-08 and 2008-09 temporary staff includes fixed term appointments whose contract is for a period of less than 12 months and all staff on short term contracts. 
		
	
	Estimates of future recruitment are currently only available for 2009-10 when the forecast is for around 12,000 recruits. This figure is subject to change as workforce plans are further developed. It is not possible to break this figure down into categories.

Industrial Health and Safety: Wales

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions have taken place with the Welsh Assembly Government on work under its national action plan to reduce suicide and self harm in Wales 2008-2013 with his Department to encourage employers to be alert to the risk of suicide amongst staff and to encourage and facilitate uptake of help and support; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: We have had no discussions with the Welsh Assembly government on work under their national action plan to reduce suicide and self harm in Wales 2008-13. Officials have, however, had several conversations on related subjects such as mental health and the workplace. We could specify these only at disproportionate cost.

Jobcentre Plus: Greater London

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the Jobcentre Plus offices in  (a) Feltham,  (b) Orpington and  (c) Brixton Hill are planned to be closed.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 14 January 2009
	The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the  (a) number and  (b) proportion of new jobseeker's allowance claimants expected to move onto the benefit as a result of (i) losing employment, (ii) moving off income support, (iii) failing a work capability assessment and (iv) other reasons in each of the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1995W.

Natural Gas: Engineers

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many registered gas engineers there were in each of the last 10 years; and how many were  (a) deregistered,  (b) fined and  (c) imprisoned in each of the last 10 years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information requested is set out as follows.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of registered gas installers and installers deregistered 
			   Registered installers  Removed from register 
			 1999 44,736 62 
			 2000 44,221 10 
			 2001 44,476 19 
			 2002 43,117 27 
			 2003 44,141 10 
			 2004 42,930 29 
			 2005 47,357 15 
			 2006 49,744 15 
			 2007 51,249 17 
			 2008 54,926 6 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Fines imposed 
			   Number of prosecution cases  Of which: Number of individuals prosecuted 
			 1999-2000 55 47 
			 2000-01 46 36 
			 2001-02 36 24 
			 2002-03 39 37 
			 2003-04 30 26 
			 2004-05 24 22 
			 2005-06 15 13 
			 2006-07 17 15 
			 2007-08 16 15 
		
	
	 Custodial sentences
	Between 1998-99 and 2007-08, 11 individuals received custodial or suspended sentences prison sentences relating to gas installation work. Only one was a registered gas installer.
	 Notes:
	1. The figures in table 1 relate to gas installation businesses registered with CORGI under the under the Gas Safety (installation and Use) Regulations 1998. The figures have been provided by CORGI.
	2. The figures in table 2 are prosecutions by the Health and Safety Executive for breaches of the 1998 and predecessor Regulations that resulted in fines being imposed. Figures to show how many of those prosecutions were for unregistered gas work alone could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

New Deal for Musicians

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of claimants on the New Deal for Musicians Programme entered immediately into sustainable employment upon leaving the programme in each  (a) region and  (b) Jobcentre Plus district in each month since the programme's inception; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 2003W.

Older Workers

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 5 November 2008,  Official Report, column 502W, on the 65 plus work force, what percentage of the overall population the given figures represent.

Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated February 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question, with reference to the Answer of 5 November 2008, Official Report, column 502W, asking what percentage of the overall population the given figures on the workforce aged 65 and over represent. (257294).
	According to the Office for National Statistics labour force projections published in January 2006, the workforce aged 65 and over as a percentage of the population aged 16 and over will be 1.4 per cent in 2012, 1.5 per cent in 2015 and 1.5 per cent in 2020.
	Further information on the methodology behind these labour force projections is available from the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/CCI/article.asp?ID=1346Pos-=lColRank=lRank=22

Pension Credit

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many pensioner households received guaranteed credit in each year since 2005;
	(2)  how many pensioner households received pension credit in each year since 2005.

Rosie Winterton: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of households in receipt of pension credit 
			Type of pension credit 
			   Total  Guarantee credit only  Both guarantee and savings credit  Savings credit only 
			 August 2005 2,696,660 772,400 1,317,180 607,040 
			 August 2006 2,728,150 787,300 1,334,410 606,410 
			 August 2007 2,735,720 814,420 1,321,950 599,330 
			 August 2008 2,723,530 889,740 1,241,620 592,150 
			  Notes: 1. The number of households in receipt are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household.  Source:  DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent data

Pension Credit

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pension credit applications were not processed within 10 days of receipt in  (a) each year since 2005 and  (b) 2008-09 to date.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			  Pension credit clearance times 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  January YTD ( 1) 2008-09 
			 Target (2)AACT 10 Days AACT 10 Days AACT 15 Days AACT 15 Days 
			 Total processed 427,748 334,501 280,097 243,813 
			 Not processed within Target 52,665 68,142 83,182 68,268 
			 % not processed within target 12 20 30 28 
			 AACT 8.8 Days 11.9 Days 15.6 Days 14.8 days 
			  Notes: (1) YTD - Year To Date (2 )AACT - Actual Average Clearance Time  Source:  Pension Service Legacy System

Pension Schemes

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps the Government have taken to ensure that under the new pension auto enrolment scheme due to start in 2012 each 1 invested by an individual saver, their employer and HM Revenue and Customs will net 1 of value (investment and inflation).

Rosie Winterton: Our reforms contain a number of measures to boost the value of pension saving:
	From 2012, employers will be required to automatically enrol their workers into a qualifying workplace pension arrangement and contribute to that arrangement. Employer contributions will be a minimum of percent on a band of earnings, and around 1 per cent. in the form of tax relief. Overall contributions, including the employee contribution, will be at least 8 per cent.
	The new personal accounts scheme will be one of the pension schemes available to employers to meet the employer duty from 2012, and is designed to be low cost to minimise the impact of charges on the value of saving.
	A more generous and simpler state pension to provide a solid foundation for saving. By 2050 just 30 per cent. of pensioner households are projected to be entitled to pension credit, compared to 45 per cent. today.
	There are also measures to boost the value of saving within the existing pension and benefits system:
	Pension rules allow up to 25 per cent. of a pension pot to be taken as a tax free lump sum.
	In addition the 'trivial commutation' rules allow individuals with small pension funds to take the full amount as a lump sum (16,500 in aggregate private pension saving in 2008-09, of which up to 25 per cent. may be tax free).
	The savings credit was designed to reward those who have made small savings for their retirement.
	Capital disregards in the benefit system mean that small amounts of capital do not affect benefit entitlement.
	Some working age benefits and tax credits discount some or all of the value of pension contributions when calculating benefit entitlement.
	Those people who see a lower impact on their net retirement income due to interactions with the benefit system will still get the full value of their private savings, and many will also be receiving generous top ups from the state to boost their total income, due to their needs in retirement. This could be due to circumstances such as needing extra support, for example due to disability.
	The report of the Savings Incentive Work programme Saving for retirement: Implications of pensions reforms on financial incentives to save for retirement showed that, on standard assumptions, over 95 per cent. of savers modelled could expect to get more than 1 plus inflation back for each 1 contributed, and a large majority could expect double that. It also showed that for a range of case studies the reforms improve the payback on saving. The report also explored a number of measures proposed by stakeholders to further improve returns which suggested that the Government have struck a good balance between the competing objectives of affordability, incentivising saving and alleviating povertyon balance the package does not need to be changed.

Pensions

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the weekly income, to the nearest whole pound, from the basic state pension and pension credit for a single person who began work in 2012 and who retired at 68 with a full history of national insurance contributions and had  (a) no savings and  (b) non-pensions savings of (i) 1,000, (ii) 2,000, (iii) 3,000, (iv) 4,000, (v) 5,000 and (vi) 10,000.

Rosie Winterton: It is projected that a single person aged 25 in 2012, who earned median earnings throughout their working life would receive 159 basic state pension plus state second pension on reaching state pension age of 68 in 2055. They would not be entitled to pension credit. This figure is not affected by different non-pension savings scenarios, Figures are in 2008-09 earnings terms.

Poverty: North East

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children were living in poverty in Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland constituency in  (a) January 2007,  (b) January 2008 and  (c) January 2009.

Kitty Ussher: Child poverty statistics, published in the Households Below Average Income series, only allow a breakdown of the overall number of children in relative poverty at Government Office region level or for inner or outer London. This means information for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland is not available.

Redundancy

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to ensure that his Department has the capacity to provide effective and timely assistance and support to those made redundant.

Tony McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what steps he is taking to ensure that his Department has the capacity to provide effective and timely assistance and support to those made redundant. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The support we can provide begins as soon as a business announces redundancies and involves help for the employer and employees. In Scotland this help is delivered by way of the Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) initiative. PACE is a Scottish Government initiative, in which Jobcentre Plus is an active participant, which provides a framework for a consistent and co-ordinated public sector response to dealing with companies in difficulty, including redundancy. The key aim of PACE is to help people who have been made redundant into alternative employment or training, as quickly as possible. This help can include workplace briefings by Jobcentre staff, skills assessments, and advice on how to look for a new job.
	Support is also available through the Rapid Response Service (RRS) administered across Great Britain by Jobcentre Plus. This provides access to funding to help individuals made redundant where no other help exists or is insufficient to get them back into work. The budget for this service was doubled this year, from 3m to 6m, and will be doubled again next year to 12m. This will enable us to deal more effectively with situations involving 20 or more redundancies, or where there is a group of smaller redundancies in one locality. Although this funding has not yet been called upon in Scotland, any bid will be administered in line with the local PACE Partnership.
	We have also announced that more people who are made redundant will get help through Programme Centres. These provide people with different kinds of help such as assistance with CV-writing and gaining jobsearch skills. Access to Programme Centres was previously restricted to those furthest from the labour market. Advisers will now have the discretion to allow any customers to access this help as soon as they become unemployed. This will be useful for people who have been in work for a long time and have no recent experience of job hunting.
	We are also extending Local Employment Partnerships to provide help for newly redundant people. Local Employment Partnerships are simple deals we have agreed with employers, from local to national level, whereby we prepare customers for work and employers provide guaranteed job interviews, work placements, mentoring and work trials. Through these, Jobcentre Plus is already working successfully with over 13,000 employers, and has helped over 100,000 people into work.
	To enable Jobcentres to manage the increase in register sizes, we are recruiting additional staff and are looking at extending office opening hours and how we might use partner premises where appropriate to create the additional capacity we need to help the increasing number of customer who need our help. We have also expanded our Rapid Reclaim arrangements. These enable customers who were in receipt of benefit at any time in the 26 weeks immediately prior to redundancy, to quickly access benefits via an abbreviated new claims process.

Vocational Training: Redundancy

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many employees have been offered early access under Jobcentre Plus's rapid response service to  (a) work-based learning for adults,  (b) programme centres and  (c) rapid response service focused training (i) 12 weeks before the date of redundancy, (ii) between 12 weeks before the date of redundancy and the date of redundancy and (iii) between the date of redundancy and 12 weeks after that date.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is not available.

Winter Fuel Payments

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households with more than  (a) 100,000 and  (b) 200,000 annual income were in receipt of a winter fuel payment in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: Winter fuel payments were designed to give older people reassurance that they could turn up their heating in winter. Eligibility is not based on income. The winter fuel payment for 2008-09 is 250 for households with someone aged 60-79, and 400 for households with someone aged 80 and over.
	Information based on the Department's Family Resources Survey, shows that in 2006-07, winter fuel payments were made to less than 50,000 households with net income before housing costs of more than 100,000 per annum. Higher up the income distribution, clearly, the number is less than that. 2006-07 is the latest year for which information is available.
	50,000 households represents less than 0.5 per cent. of all households where at least one adult is aged 60 and over.
	Net income before housing costs is gross income less income tax payments, national insurance contributions, contributions to occupational and private pension schemes, local taxes, maintenance and child support payments, and parental contributions to children living away from home.

Winter Fuel Payments: Maladministration

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's policy on recovering cold weather payments made in error is; and if he will make a statement.

Kitty Ussher: Customers are asked to repay overpayments of Cold Weather payments arising as a result of customer error, but only where it is cost-effective to do so.
	The Department does not currently seek to recover Cold Weather payments made as a result of official error.

HEALTH

Care Homes: Hampshire

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of care home residents were asked to pay a top-up fee in  (a) Winchester and  (b) Hampshire in each of the last five years.

Phil Hope: Information about top-up fees is not collected centrally. However, according to the Office of Fair Trading report, Survey of Older People in Care Homes, published in May 2005, 33 per cent. of the 382 United Kingdom local authority funded residents interviewed said part of their fees were paid as a third party contribution or top-up.

Care Homes: Standards

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many care homes in each region did not comply with the national  (a) privacy and dignity standard 10.1,  (b) medicines management standard 9.6,  (c) nutrition standards 12.2 and 15.4 and  (d) protection from abuse standard 18.1 in each year since the standards were established.

Phil Hope: We are informed by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) that its inspectors assess the performance of care homes against each national minimum standard (NMS) and rate them on a four-point scale. A score of four indicates that a standard has been exceeded. A score of three shows that it has been met. A score of two denotes that the standard has not been met with minor shortfallsthis indicates that one of the numerous subsections in the standard has not been completely met. A score of one means the standard has not been met. CSCI assesses whether an entire standard has been met.
	Tables showing the scores of care homes against the NMS for medication, privacy and dignity, meals and mealtimes and protection for care homes for older people, broken down by CSCI region, for each year since the standards were introduced, have been placed in the Library.

Childbirth

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many births there were at  (a) under 20 weeks,  (b) between 20 and 23 weeks,  (c) between 24 and 27 weeks,  (d) between 28 and 31 weeks and  (e) between 32 and 36 weeks gestation in 2007-08.

Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK statistics authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell dated February 2009:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many premature births there were at (a) under 20 weeks, (b) between 20 and 23 weeks, (c) between 24 and 27 weeks, (d) between 28 and 31 weeks and (e) between 32 and 36 weeks gestation in 2007-08.
	Figures on premature births in England and Wales are only available for 2005. These figures are not routinely published by ONS as information on gestational age is not collected at birth registration. Since 2005, ONS has had access to NHS numbers for babies records which include information on gestational age and this has been linked to birth registration records.
	 (a) Figures on live births under 20 weeks gestation are not available.
	 (b) There were 312 live births under 22 weeks gestation. Of these, 100 live births had a birth weight of 1,000 grams and above. This recording is implausible and raises concerns about the accuracy in the recording of gestational age, birth weight or both. There were 435 live births at 22-23 weeks gestation.
	 (c) There 2,431 live births between 24 and 27 weeks gestation.
	 (d) There were 5,825 live births between 28 and 31 weeks gestation.
	 (e) There were 39,538 live births between 32 and 36 weeks gestation.

Childbirth

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the survival rates were for babies born at  (a) under 20 weeks,  (b) between 20 and 23 weeks,  (c) between 24 and 27 weeks,  (d) between 28 and 31 weeks and  (e) between 32 and 36 weeks gestation in each year since 1997.

Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK statistics authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell dated February 2009:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the survival rates were for premature babies born at (a) under 20 weeks, (b) between 20 and 23 weeks, and (c) between 24 and 27 weeks, (d) between 28 and 31 weeks and (e) between 32 and 36 weeks gestation in each year since 1997.
	Survival rates for premature babies in England and Wales are only available for 2005. These figures are not routinely published by ONS as information on gestational age is not collected at birth or death registration. However, since 2005, ONS has had access to NHS numbers for babies records which include information on gestational age and this has been linked to birth and infant death registration records.
	Survival rates for babies born under 20 weeks gestation are not available. Figures are however available for babies born under 22 weeks gestation and 22 to 36 weeks gestation that survived to age one. These are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Survival to age 1 of babies born in England and Wales by gestation weeks, 2005 
			  Gestation  ( weeks )  Survival to age 1  (percentage) 
			 Under 22 weeks and birth weight under 1,000g 1.4 
			 Under 22 weeks and birth weight 1,000g and over(1) 73.0 
			 22-23 12.0 
			 24-27 70.2 
			 28-31 94.8 
			 32-36 98.9 
			 (1) There were 100 live births born under 22 weeks with a birth weight of 1,000 grams and above. This recording is implausible and raises concerns about the accuracy in the recording of gestational age, birth weight or both.

Choose and Book

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of GP referrals to first outpatient appointments were made using Choose and Book in each  (a) primary care trust and  (b) strategic health authority in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: Latest figures for the percentage of general practitioner (GP) referrals to first out-patient appointment made using choose and book in each primary care trust and strategic health authority are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   December 2008 (percentage) 
			  Strategic health authority name  
			 North East 54 
			 North West 51 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 47 
			 East Midlands 69 
			 West Midlands 47 
			 East of England 43 
			 London 36 
			 South East Coast 40 
			 South Central 44 
			 South West 75 
			   
			  Primary care trust name  
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan 68 
			 Barking and Dagenham 66 
			 Barnet 12 
			 Barnsley 89 
			 Bassetlaw 67 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 94 
			 Bedfordshire 30 
			 Berkshire East Teaching 57 
			 Berkshire West 58 
			 Bexley Care Trust 33 
			 Birmingham East and North 48 
			 Blackburn with Darwen Teaching 54 
			 Blackpool 62 
			 Bolton 59 
			 Bournemouth and Poole Teaching 79 
			 Bradford and Airedale Teaching 46 
			 Brent Teaching 22 
			 Brighton and Hove City Teaching 43 
			 Bristol 61 
			 Bromley 25 
			 Buckinghamshire 47 
			 Bury 37 
			 Calderdale 65 
			 Cambridgeshire 49 
			 Camden 22 
			 Central  Eastern Cheshire 45 
			 Central Lancashire 43 
			 City and Hackney Teaching 38 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 66 
			 County Durham 54 
			 Coventry Teaching 58 
			 Croydon 36 
			 Cumbria 38 
			 Darlington 60 
			 Derby City 67 
			 Derbyshire County 74 
			 Devon 77 
			 Doncaster 68 
			 Dorset 75 
			 Dudley 53 
			 Ealing 36 
			 East and North Hertfordshire 36 
			 East Lancashire 57 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 32 
			 East Sussex Downs and Weald 25 
			 Eastern and Coastal Kent Teaching 49 
			 Enfield 42 
			 Gateshead 55 
			 Gloucestershire 64 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney  
			 Teaching 34 
			 Greenwich Teaching 50 
			 Halton and St Helens 38 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 31 
			 Hampshire 30 
			 Haringey Teaching 31 
			 Harrow 34 
			 Hartlepool 61 
			 Hastings and Rother 21 
			 Havering 81 
			 Heart of Birmingham Teaching 43 
			 Herefordshire 39 
			 Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale 72 
			 Hillingdon 40 
			 Hounslow 30 
			 Hull Teaching 62 
			 Isle of Wight NHS 24 
			 Islington 46 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 47 
			 Kingston 49 
			 Kirklees 42 
			 Knowsley 42 
			 Lambeth 30 
			 Leeds 25 
			 Leicester City Teaching 72 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland 65 
			 Lewisham 17 
			 Lincolnshire Teaching 40 
			 Liverpool 55 
			 Luton 45 
			 Manchester 50 
			 Medway 52 
			 Mid Essex 56 
			 Middlesbrough 68 
			 Milton Keynes 74 
			 Newcastle 40 
			 Newham 65 
			 Norfolk 33 
			 North East Essex 64 
			 North East Lincolnshire PCT 45 
			 North Lancashire Teaching 49 
			 North Lincolnshire 43 
			 North Somerset 68 
			 North Staffordshire 45 
			 North Tees PCT 57 
			 North Tyneside 33 
			 North Yorkshire and York 44 
			 Northamptonshire Teaching 93 
			 Northumberland Care Trust 49 
			 Nottingham City 75 
			 Nottinghamshire County Teaching 80 
			 Oldham 75 
			 Oxfordshire 67 
			 Peterborough 39 
			 Plymouth Teaching 80 
			 Portsmouth City Teaching 26 
			 Redbridge 51 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 64 
			 Richmond and Twickenham 20 
			 Rotherham 60 
			 Salford 79 
			 Sandwell 80 
			 Sefton 23 
			 Sheffield 45 
			 Shropshire County 57 
			 Solihull 36 
			 Somerset 81 
			 South Birmingham 37 
			 South East Essex 63 
			 South Gloucestershire 74 
			 South Staffordshire 37 
			 South Tyneside 57 
			 South West Essex 49 
			 Southampton City 30 
			 Southwark 34 
			 Stockport 63 
			 Stoke on Trent 41 
			 Suffolk 40 
			 Sunderland Teaching 70 
			 Surrey 39 
			 Sutton and Merton 28 
			 Swindon 57 
			 Tameside and Glossop 62 
			 Telford and Wrekin 65 
			 Torbay Care Trust 90 
			 Tower Hamlets 54 
			 Trafford 29 
			 Wakefield District 43 
			 Walsall Teaching 39 
			 Waltham Forest 59 
			 Wandsworth 26 
			 Warrington 39 
			 Warwickshire 57 
			 West Essex 46 
			 West Hertfordshire 47 
			 West Kent 35 
			 West Sussex 49 
			 Western Cheshire 47 
			 Westminster 31 
			 Wiltshire 100 
			 Wirral 72 
			 Wolverhampton City 53 
			 Worcestershire 34 
			  Note: Percentage of GP referrals to first out-patient appointments made using choose and book.

Civil Servants: Pay

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) civil servants,  (b) permanent non-civil servants and  (c) temporary or agency staff are employed at each (i) grade and (ii) salary range on the 18 week referral to treatment team.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 23 February 2009
	 The 18 weeks referral to treatment commitment is programme managed by a mixture of civil servants, secondees and temporary staff. The majority of these staff work on this area as part of other wider responsibilities. A breakdown of these staff is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Civil servants (by civil service pay band from national pay range minimum to inner London pay range maximum) 
			  Grade  Number  Salary range () 
			 Senior Civil Servant Pay Band 2 1 81,600-160,000 
			 Senior Civil Servant Pay Band 1 4 57,300-116,000 
			 Grade 6 1 52,265-72,636 
			 Grade 7 4 41,481-59,961 
			 Senior Executive Officer 3 30,690-44,473 
			 Higher Executive Officer 2 24,611-36,219 
			 Executive Officer 1 19,445-28,935 
			 Administrative Officer 1 15,530-22,678 
		
	
	
		
			  Permanent non-civil servants (by national health service pay band unless otherwise stated) 
			  Grade  Number  Salary range () 
			 Very Senior Manager (Senior Civil Servant Pay Band 1 equivalent) 2 (1)57,300-116,000 
			 Band 9 4 73,617-93,098 
			 Band 8D 5 62,337-77,179 
			 Band 8C 2 52,007-64,118 
			 Executive Officer (civil service equivalent) 1 19,445-28,935 
			 (1) A percentage of the trust Chief Executive's salary. (See following note)  Note: See Appendix E of Pay Framework for Very Senior Managers (VSM) in Strategic and Special Health Authorities, Primary Care Trusts and Ambulance Trusts (October 2008)a copy of which has been placed in the Library. The two VSM fall within the Senior Civil Servant pay band 1 equivalent range. 
		
	
	
		
			  Temporary or agency staff (by NHS pay band or civil service pay band equivalent) 
			  Grade  Number  Salary range () 
			 Band 9 (NHS equivalent) 1 73,617-93,098 
			 Band 8D (NHS equivalent) 2 62,337-77,179 
			 Band 8C (NHS equivalent) 3 52,007-64,118 
			 Band 8B (NHS equivalent) 2 43,211-53,432 
			 Band 6 (NHS equivalent) 1 24,103-32,653 
			 Band 5 (NHS equivalent) 1 20,225-26,123 
			 Grade 7 (civil service equivalent) 2 41,481-59,961 
			 Higher Executive Officer (civil service equivalent) 1 24,611-36,219 
			 Administrative Officer (civil service equivalent) 1 15,530-22,678 
		
	
	
		
			  Temporary NHS clinical advice/patient representation from the charity sector 
			  Grade  Number  Sessional day rate range () 
			 NHS Medical Consultants/GPs/Patient representatives 6 300-800

Death Rate

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the mortality rate for  (a) four-limb deficient thalidomiders and the  (b) the general public is;
	(2)  how many NHS trusts are equipped to measure the blood pressure of an upper-limb deficient thalidomide survivor.

Dawn Primarolo: We have made no estimate of the difference between the mortality rate for four limb deficient thalidomiders and the mortality rate for the general public.
	Information on the number of national health service trusts equipped to measure the blood pressure of an upper limb deficient thalidomide survivor is not collected centrally.

Dementia

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the evidential basis is for the statement that the level of diagnosis and treatment of people with dementia is generally low in the UK and that there is a 24-fold variation between primary care trusts, as referred to on page 17 of the national dementia strategy; and if he will place in the Library a copy of such evidence.

Phil Hope: The source of the statement referred to on page 17 in the Dementia Strategy publication Living well with dementia: A National Dementia Strategy is from the Dementia UK report, published in 2007 by the Alzheimer's Society. A copy of the Dementia UK report has been placed in the Library.

Dementia

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how the 150 million he has allocated to fund the National Dementia Strategy will be allocated to each year of the strategy; and how much will be allocated to  (a) resource and  (b) capital expenditure in each year;
	(2)  from which budget the 150 million he has allocated to fund the National Dementia Strategy will be taken; and by what mechanism it will be allocated to the NHS;
	(3)  how the 150 million he has allocated to fund his National Dementia Strategy will be broken down between each of the 17 objectives in the strategy.

Phil Hope: The 150 million is revenue, not capital expenditure. It is being made available as part of primary care trusts' (PCTs) overall general allocations. These are increasing by 5.5 per cent. in each of 2009-10 and 2010-11, a total increase of 8.6 billion over the two years of which the dementia funding is part. PCTs have flexibility over the use of these resources in line with the operating framework. Total expenditure in each year on dementia, and on each of the 17 objectives that are not central budgets, will therefore be determined by the national health service locally. National estimates of expenditure on each objective are set out in the impact assessment published on the Department's website alongside the National Dementia Strategy. This information is contained with Living well with dementia: A National Dementia Strategy, which has already been placed in the Library.

Dementia

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many dementia advisers there are; how many he plans to recruit in each year; and by what date he plans to complete the proposed complement of additional advisers;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the average annual cost of a dementia adviser.

Phil Hope: The role of dementia advisor will be an entirely new one. As such, the role will be piloted in the first year of the strategy. Subsequent decisions about the nature, number and funding of dementia advisers will be made locally by primary care trusts, depending on local circumstances.

Dementia: Drugs

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date his Department plans to publish its reviews of the inappropriate use of anti-psychotic drugs for people with dementia.

Phil Hope: The work of the review will be concluded in spring 2009.

Dementia: Research

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much research funding has been allocated to studies linked to dementia in each financial year since 1997-98 for which figures are available; and how much he plans to allocate in each financial year up to 2010-11.

Dawn Primarolo: Both the Department and the Medical Research Council (MRC) support research into dementia. Annual expenditure figures are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Expenditure on dementia research 
			   million 
			   Department  Medical Research Council  Total 
			 1997-98 0.4 5.5 5.9 
			 1998-99 3.2 6 9.2 
			 1999-2000 1 7.2 8.2 
			 2000-01 4.7 8.2 12.9 
			 2001-02 2.9 6.6 9.5 
			 2002-03 1.6 6.6 8.2 
			 2003-04 1.1 7.4 8.5 
			 2004-05 19 6.2 25.2 
			 2005-06 18.3 6 24.3 
			 2006-07 22.8 6.4 29.2 
			 2007-08 22.2 10.2 32.2 
		
	
	The Departmental figures for the years from 1997-98 to 2003-04 relate to national research programme expenditure. They do not include the part of the research and development allocations made annually at that time to national health service (NHS) providers and spent on dementia research. That information was not collected prior to 2004-05.
	The more recent departmental figures are the aggregate of NHS support for degenerative neurological disorder research and comparable expenditure from National Institute for Health Research funding streams, including the cost of the dementias and neurodegenerative diseases research network.
	The MRC expenditure figure for 2007-08 includes spend on some projects not previously included in annual totals.
	The usual practice of the Department's National Institute for Health Research and of the MRC is not to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics: research proposals in all areas compete for the funding available. Future levels of expenditure on dementia research will be determined by the success of relevant bids for funding.

Dental Services: Cornwall

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were seen by dentists in Cornwall in each of the last 10 years.

Ann Keen: This information is not available in the format requested.
	The number of patients seen in the previous 24 months in England, as at quarterly intervals, from 31 March 2006 to 30 June 2008 is available in table D3 of annex 3 of the NHS Dental Statistics, Q1 2008/09 report. Information is provided by the primary care trust (PCT) and by the strategic health authority (SHA). This information is based on the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006.
	The NHS Dental Statistics, Q1 2008/09 report, was published on 27 November 2008 and is available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dentalstats0809q1
	This publication has already been placed in the Library.
	The patients seen measure is not available under the old dental contractual arrangements, which were in place up to and including 31 March 2006. The closest equivalent measure to patients seen is the number of patients registered with an NHS dentist. However, this is not directly comparable to the patients seen data under the new contractual arrangements.
	The number of patients registered with an NHS dentist, in England, as at 31 March, 1997 to 2006 is available in annex A of the NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report, England: 31 March 2006. Information is provided by PCT and by SHA.
	The NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report, England: 31 March 2006 report, was published on 23 August 2006 and is available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	http://www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dwfactivity
	This publication has already been placed in the Library.

Dental Services: Cornwall

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many treatments have been carried out by dentists in Cornwall in each year since 1998.

Ann Keen: The number of courses of treatment performed in England in 2006-07 and 2007-08 are available in table A4 of annex 3 of the NHS Dental Statistics for England: 2007/08 report. Information is provided by the primary care trust and the strategic health authority. This information is based on the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006.
	Validated information at a regional level under the old contractual arrangements could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The NHS Dental Statistics for England: 2007/08 report was published on 21 August 2008 and is available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dental0708
	This publication has already been placed in the Library.

Dental Services: Durham

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of levels of access to NHS dentistry services in the City of Durham.

Ann Keen: The number of patients seen in the previous 24 months in England, as at quarterly intervals, from 31 March 2006 to 30 June 2008 is available in table D3 of annex 3 of the NHS Dental Statistics, Quarter 1: 30 June 2008 report. Information is provided by primary care trust and by strategic health authority.
	This information is based on the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006. This report, published on 27 November 2008, has already been placed in the Library and is also available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dentalstats0809q1

Dental Services: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dentists there were with practices in City of York constituency in each of the last 15 years.

Ann Keen: The numbers of national health service dentists, as at 31 March, 1997 to 2006 are available in annex E of the NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report England: 31 March 2006. Information is available by strategic health authority (SHA) and by primary care trust (PCT). Annex G contains information by parliamentary constituency. Validated information is not available for earlier years.
	This measure counted the number of NHS dentists recorded on PCT lists as at 31 March each year. This information is based on the old contractual arrangements, which were in place up to and including 31 March 2006. This report, published on 23 August 2006, has already been placed in the Library and is also available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dwfactivity
	The numbers of dentists with NHS activity during the years ending 31 March, 2007 and 2008 are available in table G1 of annex 3 of the NHS Dental Statistics for England: 2007/08 report. Information is provided by SHA and by PCT but is not available by constituency. This information is based on the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006. This report, published on 21 August 2008, has already been placed in the Library and is also available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dental0708
	Following a recent consultation exercise, this measure is based on a revised methodology and therefore supersedes previously published workforce figures relating to the new dental contractual arrangements. It is not comparable to the information collected under the old contractual arrangements. This revised methodology counted the number of dental performers with NHS activity recorded via FP17 claim forms in each year ending 31 March.
	Further work is currently being undertaken to determine whether the new definition used under the new dental contractual arrangements can be applied to the years under the old contractual arrangements to produce a consistent time series.
	Both sets of published figures relate to headcounts and do not differentiate between full-time and part-time dentists, nor do they account for the fact that some dentists may do more NHS work than others.

Dental Services: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people from City of York constituency there were on the lists of NHS dentists in City of York constituency in each of the last 15 years.

Ann Keen: Information is not available for years prior to 1997.
	The number of patients registered with an national health service (NHS) dentist, in England, as at 31 March, 1997 to 2006 is available in annex A of the NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report, England: 31 March 2006. Information is provided by primary care trust (PCT) and by strategic health authority (SHA). Annex C contains information by parliamentary constituency.
	This information is based on the old contractual arrangements that were in place up to and including 31 March 2006. This report, published on 23 August 2006, has already been placed in the Library and is also available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dwfactivity
	Under the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006, patients do not have to be registered with an NHS dentist to receive NHS care. The closest equivalent measure to 'registration' is the number of patients receiving NHS dental services, 'patients seen' over a 24-month period. However, this is not directly comparable to the registration data for earlier years.
	The number of patients seen in the previous 24 months in England, as at quarterly intervals, from 31 March 2006 to 30 June 2008 is available in table D3 of annex 3 of the NHS Dental Statistics, Quarter 1: 30 June 2008 report. Information is provided by PCT and SHA but is not available by constituency.
	This report, published on 27 November 2008, has already been placed in the Library and is also available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dentalstats0809q1

Departmental Buildings

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of the  (a) display energy certificates and  (b) advisory reports for public buildings issued in respect of each property occupied by (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department will place in the Library a copy of the display energy certificates and their associated advisory reports in respect of each property occupied by the Department and its agencies.

Departmental Pay

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has allocated for staff bonuses in 2008-09.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department total paybill for 2008-09 is forecast to be 140 million of which 1.3 per cent. has been used for non-consolidated performance payments to staff. The median payment made was 536.
	All non-consolidated performance payments are funded within existing pay bill controls, have to be re-earned each year against pre-determined targets and, as such, do not add to future pay bill costs. The purpose of such payments is to ensure that those staff making the greatest contribution to the work of the Department are suitably rewarded.
	For grades below the Senior Civil Service, 2008-09 is the first year that non-consolidated performance payments have been made. For the Senior Civil Service, the size of the non-consolidated performance pay pot is based on recommendations by the independent Senior Salaries Review Body.

Departmental Travel

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much Lord Crisp has claimed in travel expenses in the course of producing his report on global health.

Ben Bradshaw: According to departmental records, Lord Crisp undertook international travel to the following countries between May 2006 and November 2006 to inform his 'Global Health Partnerships' report: South Africa, Malawi, Ethiopia, India, Ghana, USA and Switzerland. For this he claimed 12,600 in travel and subsistence.

Drugs: Counterfeit Manufacturing

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency's 24-hour anti-counterfeiting hotline was established; how much it cost to run in the last 12 months; how many calls it has received since its inception; and how many of these have led to the discovery each year of counterfeit drugs;
	(2)  what assessment of the risk from counterfeit medicines and devices the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency has made in each of the last 12 months;
	(3)  how many instances of counterfeit medicines or devices in the supply chain have been discovered in each of the last four years;
	(4)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's anti-counterfeiting strategy.

Dawn Primarolo: The supply of counterfeit medicines is a growing problem worldwide and one which the Government are taking very seriously.
	The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has therefore introduced a 24-hour anti-counterfeiting hotline in November 2007 as part of the Agency's Anti-Counterfeiting strategy. The Strategy was launched in November 2007. It sets out a three year plan and contains a commitment to audit activities carried out under it. A review is planned for the end of the three year period. The cost of the designated telephone is currently 65.00 per quarter, which is met from the Agency's overall telecommunications budget and it is manned by MHRA personnel as part of their normal duties. To date, 64 reports have been received (via e-mail, website, telephone and letter). All were responded to and none have proved to be counterfeit.
	The MHRA has analysed in detail all of the cases of counterfeit medicines which have been discovered in the United Kingdom supply chain. This study has also contributed to the European Commission's proposals to tackle counterfeit medicines which are currently subject to public consultation. It has also contributed to a comprehensive review of the UK supply chain which has also been released for public consultation.
	A 'watch list' of counterfeit medicines and medical devices which may appear in the supply chain has been established and circulated to Customs, police and other regulators to be aware of, and to deal with, potential threats.
	The number of instances that counterfeit medicines and Devices have been found in the supply chain in each of the last four years is in the following table. The figures given are for every individual instance and may feature the same type of medicine or medical device on more than one occasion.
	
		
			   Medicines  Devices 
			 2005-06 1 4 
			 2006-07 2 5 
			 2007-08 5 2 
			 2008-09 0 0 
		
	
	There have been no reports of counterfeit medicines discovered in the regulated supply chain since May 2007.

Eating Disorders

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure there is appropriate treatment and support available for individuals who have an eating disorder.

Phil Hope: We take the issue of eating disorders, especially among young people, seriously. This is why the Department asked the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to produce clinical guidelines on core interventions in the treatment and management of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and related eating disorders. This guidance was published in 2004.
	The Department currently supports the eating disorder charity, beat, through direct funding worth 131,000 over three years, 2006-09. Since 2001-02, real terms investment in adult mental health services increased by 44 per cent., almost 1.7 billion, putting in place the services and staff needed to transform mental health services. The national health service (NHS) spent 5.53 billion on these services in 2007-08, with real term investment increasing by 3.74 per cent. between 2006 to 2007 and 2007 to 2008.
	We have thus made very substantial resources available to the NHS from which to provide treatments and services for the population. However, the responsibility for the provision of all NHS services, including the provision of support and treatment for eating disorders, rests with primary care trusts.

Emergency Services

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average  (a) cost and  (b) number of staff in an emergency operations centre is.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not collected centrally. Arrangements for ambulance service operations centres are a matter for the local national health service. The hon. Member may wish to approach his local NHS organisations for further information.

General Practitioners: Wirral

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints the Healthcare Commission has received on GP services in Wirral West constituency in the last five years.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not collected centrally. However, this information can be obtained direct from the Healthcare Commission.

Genetics: Data Protection

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the evidence of his Department's chief scientific adviser to the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee on 21 January 2009, when his Department first considered the inclusion of DNA information on the NHS care record; what consideration has been given to the use of DNA information on the care record for patient identification; what discussions there have been in his Department on the form in which the care record service could hold such information; and what estimate he has made of the date by which the DNA of the majority of individuals will be held on the care record.

Ben Bradshaw: Decisions about the necessity and relevance of recording particular information, including data relating to the patient's DNA, on health records, whether those held within the NHS care records service (NHS CRS) or elsewhere, is a matter for individual clinicians.
	Access to health records is only permitted to clinical staff who have a legitimate relationship with the patient for which consent may be implied, for example because they are providing NHS health care or treatment, or who have express consent from the patient for other reasons, for example clinical research.
	Within the NHS CRS, both detailed care records and summary care records, for those who choose to have one, will potentially be updated each time patients receive NHS care, and for obvious reasons the precise information held will differ from patient to patient.

Health and Social Care

Jeremy Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to improve the coordination of assessments carried out by those in the health and social care sectors; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: A consultation published on 22 January and running to 17 April 2009 details proposals to improve information sharing around assessments and care and support planning. The Common Assessment Framework for Adults will look to enable the sharing of information, with the consent of the individual, between health, social care and wider community support services. A report of responses to the consultation will be published in the summer 2009, and the comments received are being used to inform the practical approaches being tested and evaluated over the next three years in nine local authority led partnerships.

Health and Social Care: Elderly

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons real terms social care expenditure on older people has fallen, as reported in his Department's report Personal Social Services Expenditure and Unit Costs England, 2007-08.

Phil Hope: The data published by the NHS Information Centre on adult personal social services expenditure and unit costs, England, 2007-08, set out expenditure as reported by councils on personal social services and does not record the reasons for changes in expenditure. A copy of the publication has been placed in the Library. Expenditure on personal social services is a matter for each individual council and local discretion, through engagement with their democratically accountable members and the public, in order to deliver services that meet local needs and pressures.

Health Services: Dementia

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many memory clinics there are; and how many memory clinics he intends to establish by what date under the provisions of the National Dementia Strategy;
	(2)  how many staff he expects to be employed in each memory clinic, as referred to in the National Dementia Strategy;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the average  (a) initial start-up costs and  (b) annual operating costs of a memory clinic; and how much he has allocated to memory clinics in each financial year until 2010-11.

Phil Hope: Decisions about the nature, number and funding of memory services will be made locally by primary care trusts, depending on local circumstances.

Health Services: Rural Areas

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what studies his Department has undertaken into the costs of administering healthcare in rural locations.

Ben Bradshaw: The cost of administering health care in rural locations has been considered by the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA). ACRA is an independent body that oversees the development of the weighted capitation formula, used to inform primary care trust (PCT) revenue allocations, and makes recommendations to ministers on potential changes to the funding formula prior to each allocations round. ACRA's latest report has been placed in the Library and at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_091484
	Both ACRA and its predecessor, the Resource Allocation Group, have commissioned independent research into how the weighted capitation formula takes account of the issues faced in rural areas, both in terms of additional need for health care and the additional cost of providing health care in rural areas. In particular, 'Combining Age Related and Additional Needs (CARAN) Report' and 'Review of Specific Cost Approach to Staff Market Forces Factor', which consider the impact of rurality on health care needs and costs respectively.
	In addition, 'A Study of Costs of Providing Health Services in Rural Areas', led to the introduction of the emergency ambulance cost adjustment , in recognition of the geographical cost differences found for emergency ambulance services.
	These research reports have also been placed in the Library and can be accessed at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Managingyourorganisation/Financeandplanning/Allocations/DH_4108515

Hepatitis

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) males and  (b) females in each age group have been diagnosed with acute hepatitis (i) A, (ii) B, (iii) C, (iv) D, (v) E and (vi) G in each year since 1997.

Dawn Primarolo: The available information is shown in the following tables. However, data for acute hepatitis C are not available, as surveillance data collected by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) do not distinguish between current and past infections or between recently acquired and chronic infections. The HPA does not collect data on hepatitis D as hepatitis D is a defective virus that replicates only in the presence of acute or chronic hepatitis B infection. The HPA also does not routinely collect data on hepatitis G as extensive worldwide investigation has failed to identify any association between the hepatitis G virus and hepatitis and its clinical significance is unknown.
	
		
			  Laboratory confirmed cases of hepatitis A, England and Wales , by age group, 1997 to  2007 
			  Age group /year  m  f  nk  t 
			  1997 
			 14 130 115 7 252 
			 15-24 133 54 5 189 
			 25-34 298 68 5 368 
			 35-44 162 41 5 207 
			 45-54 90 37 0 127 
			 55-64 29 16 5 46 
			 =65 33 41 0 74 
			 Unknown 25 8 5 35 
			 Total 900 380 18 1/298 
			  
			  1998 
			 14 100 85 8 193 
			 15-24 137 56 5 196 
			 25-34 240 70 5 311 
			 35-44 146 35 0 181 
			 45-54 63 28 5 92 
			 55-64 28 20 0 48 
			 =65 29 27 5 57 
			 Unknown 14 12 0 26 
			 Total 333 333 14 1,104 
			  
			  199 9 
			 14 169 167 11 347 
			 15-24 167 107 9 283 
			 25-34 200 102 5 304 
			 35-44 114 71 5 187 
			 45-54 69 45 5 115 
			 55-64 34 18 0 52 
			 =65 38 34 5 74 
			 Unknown 17 5 6 28 
			 Total 808 549 33 1,390 
			  
			  2000 
			 14 95 95 5 193 
			 15-24 162 76 6 244 
			 25-34 162 84 5 249 
			 35-44 87 41 5 131 
			 45-54 53 22 5 77 
			 55-64 23 19 5 43 
			 =65 30 39 5 70 
			 Unknown 22 19 5 42 
			 Total 634 395 20 1,049 
			  
			  2001 
			 14 74 70 6 150 
			 15-24 135 60 5 197 
			 25-34 129 44 5 176 
			 35-44 65 28 0 93 
			 45-54 31 33 0 64 
			 55-64 15 9 0 24 
			 =65 25 27 5 56 
			 Unknown 24 11 5 36 
			 Total 498 282 16 796 
			  
			  2002 
			 14 79 54 8 141 
			 15-24 326 135 5 463 
			 25-34 323 107 5 434 
			 35-44 99 42 0 141 
			 45-54 32 24 0 56 
			 55-64 18 28 0 46 
			 =65 32 33 0 65 
			 Unknown 5 7 5 11 
			 Total 911 430 16 1,357 
			  
			  2003 
			 14 5 5 0 5 
			 15-24 14 5 5 19 
			 25-34 29 6 5 39 
			 35-44 17 5 5 21 
			 45-54 13 5 5 17 
			 55-64 10 5 0 13 
			 =65 7 0 5 8 
			 Unknown 5 5 4 5 
			 Total 95 19 11 125 
			  
			  2004 
			 14 0 0 0 0 
			 15-24 12 12 12 6 
			 25-34 15 6 5 25 
			 35-44 14 5 5 23 
			 45-54 19 9 5 30 
			 55-64 12 8 5 22 
			 =65 11 6 5 18 
			 Unknown 0 0 5 5 
			 Total 83 45 22 150 
			  
			  2005 
			 14 5 0 5 5 
			 15-24 24 11 5 37 
			 25-34 35 16 5 56 
			 35-44 28 11 5 42 
			 45-54 39 14 5 57 
			 55-64 40 10 6 56 
			 =65 63 8 0 71 
			 Unknown 5 5 5 7 
			 Total 234 73 22 329 
			  
			  2006 
			 14 5 0 5 6 
			 15-24 10 6 8 24 
			 25-34 18 9 8 35 
			 35-44 15 9 5 28 
			 45-54 23 8 8 39 
			 55-64 44 11 5 60 
			 =65 71 24 5 97 
			 Unknown 5 0 5 5 
			 Total 187 67 38 292 
			  
			  2007 
			 14 0 5 0 5 
			 15-24 8 5 5 17 
			 25-34 15 9 11 35 
			 35-44 14 5 5 23 
			 45-54 11 5 5 20 
			 55-64 11 7 5 20 
			 =65 31 9 6 46 
			 Unknown 5 0 5 5 
			 Total 92 40 33 165 
			  Note: 1. Where fewer than five cases were reported for a category, the table indicates the number of cases reported as 5 rather than the actual number in order to reduce the risk of deductive disclosure of an individual's identity. Laboratory cases of acute hepatitis B, England and Wales, 1999-2003  Source: HPA 
		
	
	
		
			  Age group (years)  m  f  nk  t 
			  1999 
			 1 5 5 5 5 
			 1-4 5 5 5 5 
			 5-9 5 5 5 5 
			 10-14 5 5 5 6 
			 15-24 107 92 6 205 
			 25-34 164 72 5 240 
			 25-44 109 27 5 138 
			 45-54 63 11 5 74 
			 55-64 28 5 5 34 
			 =65 18 7 5 28 
			 Not known 17 5 5 21 
			 Total 512 223 17 752 
			  
			  2000 
			 1 5 5 5 5 
			 1-4 5 5 5 5 
			 5-9 5 5 5 5 
			 10-14 5 5 5 5 
			 15-24 98 80 6 184 
			 25-34 192 56 10 258 
			 25-44 99 31 5 131 
			 45-54 61 14 5 75 
			 55-64 25 8 5 35 
			 =65 14 6 5 20 
			 Not known 9 4 5 14 
			 Total 503 204 20 727 
			  
			  2001 
			 1 5 5 5 5 
			 1-4 5 5 5 5 
			 5-9 5 5 5 5 
			 10-14 5 5 5 5 
			 15-24 71 73 5 147 
			 25-34 140 51 5 195 
			 25-44 96 31 5 130 
			 45-54 52 7 5 62 
			 55-64 23 5 5 26 
			 =65 15 5 5 20 
			 Not known 11 5 5 15 
			 Total 411 173 15 599 
			  
			  2002 
			 1 5 5 5 5 
			 1-4 5 5 5 5 
			 5-9 5 5 5 5 
			 10-14 5 5 5 5 
			 15-24 112 92 5 208 
			 25-34 208 77 5 289 
			 25-44 158 46 5 206 
			 45-54 69 16 5 86 
			 55-64 42 7 5 51 
			 =65 17 7 5 24 
			 Not known 12 5 5 21 
			 Total 622 256 17 895 
			  
			  2003 
			 1 5 5 5 5 
			 1-4 5 5 5 5 
			 5-9 5 5 5 5 
			 10-14 5 5 5 5 
			 15-24 67 52 5 124 
			 25-34 156 70 5 231 
			 25-44 137 35 5 172 
			 45-54 67 19 5 87 
			 55-64 37 9 5 47 
			 =65 20 10 5 30 
			 Not known 5 5 5 8 
			 Total 494 200 15 709 
			  Notes: 1. Surveillance of hepatitis B is based upon reports of confirmed acute hepatitis B received from laboratories in England. Since 2003, the completeness of data on whether hepatitis B infections are acute or chronic infection has decreased and therefore figures since then are not reliable. The HPA is working to improve the quality of information on acute hepatitis B reporting and provisional data for 2007 should be available later this year. 2. Where fewer than five cases were reported for a category, the table indicates the number of cases reported as 5 rather than the actual number in order to reduce the risk of deductive disclosure of an individual's identity. Laboratory confirmed cases of acute hepatitis E, England and Wales, 2003 - 2007  Source: HPA 
		
	
	
		
			  Laboratory confirmed cases of acute hepatitis E, England and Wales, 2003  - 07 
			  Age group  m  f  nk  t 
			  2003 
			 14 5 5 0 5 
			 15-24 14 5 5 19 
			 25-34 29 6 5 39 
			 35-44 17 5 5 21 
			 45-54 13 5 5 17 
			 55-64 10 5 0 13 
			 =65 7 0 5 8 
			 Unknown 5 5  5 
			 Total 95 19 11 125 
			  
			  2004 
			 14 0 0 0 0 
			 15-24 12 12 6 30 
			 25-34 15 6 5 25 
			 35-44 14 5 5 23 
			 45-54 19 9 5 30 
			 55-64 12 8 5 22 
			 =65 11 6 5 18 
			 Unknown 0 0 5 5 
			 Total 83 45 22 150 
			  
			  2005 
			 14 5 0 5 5 
			 15-24 24 11 5 37 
			 25-34 35 16 5 56 
			 35-44 28 11 5 42 
			 45-54 39 14 5 57 
			 55-64 40 10 6 56 
			 =65 63 8 0 71 
			 Unknown 5 5 5 7 
			 Total 234 73 22 329 
			  
			  2006 
			 14 5 0 5 6 
			 15-24 10 6 8 24 
			 25-34 18 9 8 35 
			 35-44 15 9 5 28 
			 45-54 23 8 8 39 
			 55-64 44 11 5 60 
			 =65 71 24 5 97 
			 Unknown 5 0 5 5 
			 Total 187 67 38 292 
			  
			  2007 
			 14 0 5 0 5 
			 15-24 8 5 5 17 
			 25-34 15 9 11 35 
			 35-44 14 5 5 23 
			 45-54 11 5 5 20 
			 55-64 11 7 5 20 
			 =65 31 9 6 46 
			 Unknown 5 0 5 5 
			 Total 92 40 33 165 
			  Notes: 1. Where fewer than five cases were reported for a category, the table indicates the number of cases reported as 5 rather than the actual number in order to reduce the risk of deductive disclosure of an individual's identity. 2. Most cases of hepatitis E are associated with travel outside of the United Kingdom.  Source: HPA

Hospitals: Finance

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the Answer of 16 July 2007,  Official Report, column 172W, on hospitals: finance, which of the schemes listed in the table  (a) are no longer being proceeded with and  (b) have had their capital value (i) reduced and (ii) increased.

Ben Bradshaw: The updated table is shown as follows.
	
		
			  Financial close/tender award date( 1)  NHS trust  Capital value reported July 2007 ( million)  Operational date  Procurement route  Current situation  Capital value as at February 2009 if different from 2007 ( million) 
			 2006 Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals 67 Q2 2008 Private Finance Initiative (PFI) Operational date was 28 August 2009  
			  Ipswich Hospital 36 Q4 2011 PFI Operational date was 3 June 2008  
			  Bails and the London 1,000 Q4 2013 PFI   
			  St. Helens Hospitals 338 Q4 2008 PFI Operational date was 22 October 2009  
			  University Hospital Birmingham 627 Q1 2010 PFI   
			  South West Essex Teaching Primary Care Trust (PCT) 30 Q3 2008 PFI Operational date was 18 August 2009  
			  Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals 51 Q4 2007 Public capital Operational date expected Q1 2009  
			  Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children 75 Q3 2011 Public capital   
			  United Bristol Healthcare/North Bristol 64 Q1 2009 Public capital   
			
			 2007 to date Taunton and Somerset 21 Q1 2009 PFI Operational date expected Q3 2009  
			  Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals 29 Q1 2009 Public capital Operational date expected Q3 2009  
			  Lincolnshire Teaching PCT 29 Q2 2009 PFI   
			  University Hospital of North Staffordshire 306 Q4 2012 PFI  375 
			  Mid Yorkshire Hospitals 343 Q2 2010 PFI  353 
			  Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals 336 Q1 2012 PFI   
			
			 2007 onwards South Essex Partnership 30 Q2 2009 PFI Operational date expected Q2 2009 32 
			  Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys 78 Q4 2008 PFI Operational date expected Q1 2010 75 
			  Redcar and Cleveland PCT 40 Q4 2008 PFI Operational date expected Q2 2009  
			  Tameside and Glossop Acute Services 109 Q3 2009 PFI Operational date expected Q4 2010  
			  Mid Essex Hospital Services 143 Q2 2010 PFI Operational date expected Q3 2010 148 
			  North Middlesex University Hospital 111 Q2 2010 PFI  144 
			  Salford Royal Hospitals 190 Q1 2011 PFI   
			  Derbyshire Mental Health 29 Q1 2009 PFI Operational date expected Q2 2009 36 
			  Northamptonshire Healthcare 36 Q3 2008 PFI Operational date expected Q1 2010  
			  Walsall Hospitals 141 Q4 2009 PFI Operational date expected Q1 2010 169 
			
			 2008 Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells 225 Q4 2010 PFI  304 
			  Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys/County Durham PCT 40 Being finalised PFI Operational date expected Q3 2009 30 
			  University Hospitals of Leicester 711 Q4 2012 PFI Not being taken forward through PFI  
			
			 2009 onwards(2) North Bristol / South Gloucestershire PCTs 310 Q1 2014 PFI  475 
			  Southampton University Hospitals 55 Being finalised PFI  61 
			  Hillingdon Hospital 139 Being finalised PFI Not being taken forward through PFI  
			  Taunton and Somerset 57 Being finalised PFI Not being taken forward through PFI  
			  Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital* 56 Being finalised PFI  143 
			  North West London Hospitals 305 Being finalised PFI Not being taken forward through PFI  
			  Southend Hospital 100 Being finalised PFI Not being taken forward through PFI  
			  Papworth Hospitals 125 Being finalised PFI   
			  Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals 342 Being finalised PFI  368 
			  West Hertfordshire Hospitals* 200 Being finalised PFI  280 
			  East and North Hertfordshire* 250 Being finalised PFI  110 
			  Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals* 225 Being finalised PFI  477 
			  Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital* 142 Being finalised PFI  235 
			  Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 50 Being finalised PFI Not being taken forward through PFI  
			  Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals 200 Being finalised PFI Not being taken forward through PFI  
			  Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals 40 Being finalised PFI Not being taken forward through PFI  
			  United Bristol Healthcare 80 Being finalised PFI Not being taken forward through PFI  
			  Mersey Care* 170 Being finalised PFI  135 
			  Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals 200 Being finalised PFI Not being taken forward through PFI  
			  Leicestershire Partnership 50 Being finalised PFI Not being taken forward through PFI  
			  Leeds Teaching hospitals 600 Being finalised PFI Not being taken forward through PFI  
			  West London Mental Health* 243 Being finalised Public capital   
			 (1) 'Tender award date' is the equivalent of financial close for public capital funded schemes. (2) It is not yet known what schemes are likely to reach financial close or award tender during 2009.  Note: Several trust schemes (marked with *) have still to develop and submit their outline business cases, which sets out their intended scope and procurement options. The values shown for those schemes are the latest the Department has collected from the strategic health authorities.

Measles

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to reduce the incidence of measles in  (a) England,  (b) the North East,  (c) Teesside and  (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency.

Dawn Primarolo: The way to reduce the number of confirmed cases of measles recorded each year is to increase the number of children vaccinated with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
	In addition to the routine MMR vaccination programme, on 6 August 2008 the Department launched a national MMR vaccine catch-up campaign. The aim of the campaign is to immunise all children between one and 18 years of age who are unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated with MMR vaccine.
	To support the campaign the Department has provided extra funding to primary care trusts (PCTs) with PCTs outside London having their funding limits increased by 30,000 and London PCTs' funding limits increased by 60,000. The Department has also sourced additional supplies of vaccine, provided technical support to general practitioners to help them identify children who have not received the MMR vaccine and provided additional online reports to PCTs to help them monitor the effectiveness of their catch-up programmes. The Department has also sent all general practitioner surgeries new measles leaflets and posters.
	The Department has held meetings with both strategic health authorities and PCT immunisation co-ordinators, regional directors of public health and directors of performance to emphasise the importance of reducing measles cases through improving vaccination uptake.
	A public relations campaign will be rolled out from March 2009. Key messages will include how serious and infectious measles is and how it's never too late to have the MMR vaccine.
	Middlesbrough PCT, Redcar and Cleveland PCT and Stockton-on Tees Teaching PCT are implementing the national MMR vaccine catch-up campaign and have three key strategies:
	a local service level agreement with GPs to help with the catch-up plan especially with pre-school age children;
	sending a letter to all parents of school leavers offering an MMR vaccine booster for those who have not received two MMR vaccine doses; and
	a local radio advertising campaign promoting MMR vaccinations.

Meat Hygiene Service: Inspections

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost of inspections carried out by the Meat Hygiene Service was in each year since 1997.

Dawn Primarolo: The Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) undertakes not just inspection activities in abattoirs but also programmes for other Government Departments such as the Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) for animal health and welfare purposes. The gross cost of the MHS and the proportion of that cost, including administrative and managerial support costs that relates to inspection, is shown in the following table.
	The cost of inspection is estimated at:
	
		
			   million 
			   1996-97  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Gross cost 47.4 55.0 63.1 66.9 64.6 77.7 81.2 82.1 83.7 88.2 91.3 87.1 
			  Of which: 
			 Inspection cost 26.6 31.9 38.9 42.3 38.4 38.7 46.6 46.2 54.1 55.1 56.7 55.1

Mental Health Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the tariff uplift breakdown for 2009-10, published by his Department on 5 February 2009, when he plans to develop a tariff for mental health services.

Ben Bradshaw: A programme of work is underway to develop and make available for use national contract 'currencies' for mental health activity by 2010-11. This is in line with the commitment made in High Quality Care for All - NHS Next Stage Review Final Report (Department of Health, June 2008), which has already been placed in the Library.
	The currencies being developed will allow national comparison and benchmarking. Once they are in place, they will facilitate an informed decision on whether to introduce a national tariff for mental health services. Therefore, no date has yet been set for the introduction of a tariff for mental health services.

NHS Hospital Foundation Trusts

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which applications for NHS Hospital Foundation Trust status have been deferred from the initial date for consideration.

Ben Bradshaw: The decision to authorise an NHS foundation trust (NHS FT) is made by the Board of Monitor. An authorisation decision may be deferred if the issues preventing a successful application are likely to be resolved or addressed within a reasonable period of time.
	I am informed by the chairman of Monitor (the statutory name of which is the independent regulator of NHS FTs) that a total of 19 applications for NHS FT status have been deferred, of which 13 were subsequently authorised, three are currently under assessment, two have withdrawn and one is awaiting reactivation.
	
		
			  Trust  Deferred  Proposed authorisation date  Current Status  Subsequent authorisation date, if authorised 
			 Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Deferred April 2005 Authorised August 2006 
			 Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust Deferred June 2007 Authorised July 2008 
			 Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust Deferred July 2004 Authorised August 2006 
			 Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Deferred August 2006 Authorised October 2006 
			 Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust Deferred October 2008 Awaiting reactivation  
			 The Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Deferred July 2007 Authorised October 2008 
			 Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Deferred April 2005 Authorised June 2006 
			 Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Deferred August 2006 Authorised June 2007 
			 Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Deferred July 2004 Authorised December 2006 
			 Medway NHS Foundation Trust Deferred November 2007 Authorised April 2008 
			 The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Deferred April 2005 Authorised June 2006 
			 North Staffs Combined Healthcare NHS Trust Deferred May 2006 Withdrawn  
			 Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Trust Deferred November 2007 Under assessment  
			 Portsmouth Hospital NHS Trust Deferred July 2007 Withdrawn  
			 The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust Deferred April 2004 Authorised June 2005 
			 Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust Deferred August 2007 Authorised August 2008 
			 Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Deferred January 2005 Authorised June 2006 
			 West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust Deferred January 2005 Under assessment

NHS Negligence

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 2 February 2009,  Official Report, column 938W, on NHS negligence, how much of the total premium for 2009-10 will be collected  (a) from each NHS trust and  (b) in respect of each type of claim.

Ann Keen: We do not know how much will be collected from individual national health service trusts because the NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA) is still in the process of calculating actual contributions. Risk management assessments, which can discount an individual member's contribution, are still being carried out. Data on actual amounts collected will be available after 1 April 2009.
	In respect of each type of claim, the NHSLA have supplied the following table. This shows the breakdown of the estimated global contribution of 713 million for 2009-10 by the NHSLA's risk categories that claims fall into.
	
		
			  () 
			  Risk Category  Total contribution 
			 Nursing and other 372,315 
			 Low(1) 5,217,893 
			 Psychiatry/Mental Health 14,350,759 
			 Medium(1) 20,597,730 
			 High(1) 91,888,822 
			 Ambulance 3,258,790 
			 Neurosurgery 10,335043 
			 Neurology 7,775,245 
			 Trauma and orthopaedics 50,727,480 
			 Accident and emergency 45,846,498 
			 General surgery 52,080,154 
			 Anaesthetics 18,032,986 
			 Obstetrics 392,516,185 
			 Total 713,000,000 
			 (1) These cover a range of over 100 specific risk categories

NHS Plus

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS occupational health departments were members of NHS Plus in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007 and  (c) 2008.

Ann Keen: There are 112 NHS Plus providers as at the end of 2008 and there were 104 in 2007. A list for both years has been placed in the Library. We do not have the information for 2006.

NHS: Dental Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date he expects the conclusions of his Department's independent review of NHS dentistry to be published.

Ann Keen: We expect the findings of the independent review team will be published in early summer 2009.

NHS: Dental Services

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what monitoring procedures are in place to ensure that primary care trusts are providing sufficient NHS dentistry services.

Ann Keen: The Dental Services Division of the Business Services Authority collects data on the numbers of patients who receive national health service care or treatment from a dentist one or more times during a 24-month period broken down by primary care trust. The latest data are contained in 'NHS Dental Statistics for England Quarter 1: 30 June 2008', a copy of which has already been placed in the Library.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what capital expenditure allocations to NHS organisations have been agreed for  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11; which organisation will receive the funding in each case; and what the purpose of the funding is in each case.

Ben Bradshaw: Information on the amounts of capital resources so far allocated to strategic health authorities, national health service trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in 2008 to 2009 has been placed in the Library.
	The allocations data provided show the total capital resources allocated up to the end of Quarter 3, December 2008. Allocations include capital funding for locally prioritised capital expenditure and programme capital for centrally announced initiatives and reflect adjustments for capital grants to third parties.
	Some organisations are showing a negative capital allocation. Negative allocations can arise where there are planned asset disposals and the selling organisation does not plan to reinvest the total value of the disposal in capital assets in the selling organisation's books in the year of disposal.
	Allocations for 2009-10 are being set as part of NHS trusts' and PCTs' financial plans. This financial planning process is ongoing. 2010-11's capital allocations for NHS trusts and PCTs will be set under a similar process.
	The Department does not hold information on the capital investment plans of NHS foundation trusts.

NHS: Infectious Diseases

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has carried out on the effectiveness of Clinell in the elimination of bacteria and viruses in NHS hospitals.

Ann Keen: The Department has not undertaken any research on the efficacy of Clinell in preventing viral and bacterial infections in hospitals. However, the Rapid Review Panel has concluded that more research and development is required before Clinell wipes are ready for evaluation in practice.

NHS: Sick Leave

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average number of sick days taken per member of staff was in each NHS trust in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available has been placed in the Library.

NHS: Sick Leave

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to reduce levels of sick leave in the NHS.

Ann Keen: National health service employing organisations are responsible for taking appropriate local action to reduce levels of sick leave.
	The Department recently published 'The NHS Constitution' which included a pledge to staff in the NHS to provide support and opportunities for staff to maintain their health, well-being and safety. A copy of the publication has already been placed in the Library.
	To support work on this pledge there will be a review of the health and well-being of the NHS work force as part of the Government's response to Dame Carol Black's report on the health of the United Kingdom's working-age population.

NHS: Sick Leave

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimates his Department has made of the cost of sick leave to the NHS in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: Sickness absence in 2005 was reported to amount to 4.5 per cent. of available working time. It was estimated that each 0.1 percentage point reduction would give a theoretical saving of 35 million.

NHS: Wheelchairs

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost to the NHS of a motorised wheelchair for someone without arms and legs is; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: Each wheelchair will need to be specifically tailored to each user's needs, and so the price will vary accordingly.
	NHS Supply Chain has a framework agreement to supply motorised wheelchairs to the national health service. Prices on this framework agreement range from 865 to 5,400.

Personal Injury: Compensation

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 27 January 2009,  Official Report, column 411W, on personal injury: compensation, 
	(1)  on how many occasions a check produced evidence of error or misleading information in 2007-08;
	(2)  on how many occasions a check led to prosecution in 2007-08.

Ben Bradshaw: In 2007-08, the Compensation Recovery Unit (CRU) undertook 60,440 checks on the initial statements of insurers and their agents where no NHS treatment was recorded in respect of the NHS injury costs recovery scheme. From these checks, 5364 claims were subsequently identified as having either inpatient or outpatient treatment where costs are recoverable under the scheme.
	The CRU initiates these checks at the beginning of the recovery process to ensure that claims will be correct when it comes to settlement. There were no resulting prosecutions in 2007-08.

Rapid Review Panel

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the operational cost of the Rapid Review Panel was in the last 12 months;
	(2)  what the average time taken by the Rapid Review Panel to complete a review of a potential new product for use in the NHS is;
	(3)  what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Rapid Review Panel in reducing infectious diseases in NHS hospitals.

Ann Keen: The operational costs of the Rapid Review Panel (RRP) for the last 12 months were 24,210.
	The RRP meets quarterly and the deadline for applications is approximately four weeks prior to the meeting date. Once the panel has met the reports are published on the RRP's website within two weeks. Thus, the time taken to review a product will vary according to when the application was made in relation to the meeting date but generally a product will be reviewed within three months.
	It is not possible to directly link the RRP work to infection rates as their role is to identify whether or not products submitted to the RRP have the potential to help the national health service reduce infections. However, the panel has undertaken 235 assessments since its first meeting and eight products have demonstrated sufficient basic research and development, validation and recent in use evaluations to enable the RRP to make a recommendation that the product should be made available to NHS bodies. Of these eight products, seven have been made available to the NHS by the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency via the NHS Supply Chain and will be contributing to their programmes to reduce infections.

Screening: Diabetes

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what guidance his Department has issued on steps to be taken on the identification of an abnormal result in a test carried out under the national screening programme for diabetic retinopathy;
	(2)  what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the national screening programme for diabetic retinopathy in reducing the risk of sight loss among people with diabetes.

Ann Keen: The English national screening programme for sight threatening retinopathy (NSP) was established to support local delivery of diabetic retinopathy screening. It has published guidance on the steps to be taken on the identification of an abnormal result in a test carried out under the national screening programme for diabetic retinopathy. This guidance is contained in the NSP's workbook, a copy of which has been placed in the Library.
	The NSP has also set national quality standards for screening programmes to measure the effectiveness of all screening programmes, also available in the Library. These include standards for the timely referral, assessment and treatment of patients with screen positive results and the reduction of new blindness due to retinopathy. The effectiveness of local screening programmes against these standards is being assessed as part of the external quality assurance process being undertaken by the NSP. In addition, the NSP is developing a project which aims to determine which type of delivery of the programme is most effective in the detection of sight threatening diabetic retinopathy.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of  (a) syphilis,  (b) HIV infection and  (c) gonorrhoea have been diagnosed in (i) England, (ii) the North East and (iii) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each of the last 10 years.

Dawn Primarolo: Data on diagnoses of syphilis, HIV and gonorrhoea in genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinics are only collected by strategic health authority (SHA). Data for syphilis, HIV and gonorrhoea for England and the North East SHA since 1998 to 2007, the latest year for which figures are available, are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Infection  Area of diagnoses  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 HIV England 2,659 2,952 3,651 4,835 5,945 6,926 7,065 7,161 6,822 7,109 
			  North East(1) 23 31 39 54 99 149 141 154 133 160 
			 
			 Syphilis England 131 211 322 717 1,196 1,538 2,034 2,491 2,422 2,437 
			  North East 7 5 (2) (2) 17 67 92 80 87 122 
			 
			 Gonorrhoea England 12,535 15,549 20,494 22,398 24,357 23,492 20,779 17,702 17,309 17,202 
			  North East 409 616 593 545 744 666 588 554 482 453 
			 (1) Includes individuals diagnosed in the North East, where smaller geography is not reported. (2) Figures between 1 to 4 have been masked to protect deductive disclosure in accordance with Office for National Statistics guidelines.  Notes:  HIV 1. Numbers will rise as further reports are received. 2. Diagnoses are from reports received to end June 2008. 3. Data include individuals who have an existing infection as well as those who have a newly acquired infection and therefore the data do not present incidence of infection. 4. Areas when presented are area of diagnoses and not of residence, there is evidence that a large proportion of individuals are diagnosed outside of their PCT of residence.  Syphilis and Gonorrhoea 1. The data available from the KC60 statutory returns are for diagnoses made in GUM clinics only. Diagnoses made in other clinical settings, such as general practice, are not recorded in the KC60 dataset. 2. The data available from the KC60 statutory returns are the number of diagnoses made, not the number of patients diagnosed. 3. The information provided has been adjusted for missing clinic data. 4. Data are unavailable for 2008. 5. Syphilis figures include diagnoses of primary and secondary infection only.  Source: Health Protection Agency, HIV and AIDS new diagnoses and KC60 returns.

Slaughterhouses

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abattoirs have closed in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: According to the Food Standards Agency, the total number of abattoirs in the United Kingdom that have ceased operating in each of the last five years is as shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Year  Number closed 
			 2004 38 
			 2005 29 
			 2006 34 
			 2007 23 
			 2008 17

Social Care: Finance

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he holds on disbursements of the social care reform grant by each local authority.

Phil Hope: In January 2008, the Department published Local Authority Circular (LAC) (2008) 1.
	This Local Authority Circular sets out information to support the transformation of social care set out in Putting People First, including the details of the social care reform grant. This new ring-fenced grant provides 520 million from 2008-11 to support councils to help redesign and reshape their systems. Annex A provides a copy of the Social Care Reform Grant Determination to Local Authorities.
	A copy of the Local Authority Circular has been placed in the Library and is available at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Lettersandcirculars/LocalAuthorityCirculars/DH_081934

Social Services: Complaints

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many independent review panels were held in 2006 to 2008; and what assessment he has made of levels of complainant satisfaction with the process;
	(2)  how many social care complaints were independently investigated in 2006-07; and how many were found to be valid;
	(3)  how many complaints which were independently investigated under the social care complaints procedure which progress to stage 2 overturned the findings at the local resolution stage in the most recent period for which information is available.

Phil Hope: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Surgery

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the period of time between a surgical operation and further surgery required by a patient is counted for the purposes of performance against waiting time targets.

Ben Bradshaw: The 18 week commitment covers all consultant-led elective services from the time the patient is referred for treatment to the start of their first definitive hospital treatment. On completion of an 18 week referral to treatment period, a new 18 week clock starts upon the decision to start a substantively new or different treatment that does not already form part of that patient's agreed care plan.

Vioxx

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the cost to the NHS of prescribing the drug Vioxx has been in each year since the drug became available on the NHS;
	(2)  how many  (a) males and  (b) females in each (i) age group and (ii) health authority have been prescribed Vioxx in each year since 1999; and how many in each category have suffered (A) heart attacks and (B) fatal heart attacks while prescribed Vioxx in each such year.

Phil Hope: Information is not collected on either the gender or number of people prescribed a medicine, only on the number of prescription items dispensed. Information on the estimated number and net ingredient cost for Vioxx items dispensed in the community in England, by age group, from 1999, when the drug was licensed in the UK, is provided in the following table.
	Estimated number of prescription items (000s)1 Net ingredient cost
	
		
			   Estimated number of prescription items (thousand)( 1)  Net ingredient cost 
			   Children aged under 16 and 16-18 in full-time education  Elderly aged 60 and over  Adults aged 16 to 59 (ex 16-18 in full time education)  Total  NIC (000) 
			 1999 0.7 91.4 70.5 162.6 3,998.5 
			 2000 2.5 453.4 328.6 784.5 20,156.0 
			 2001 3.7 823.8 442.3 1,269.8 33,691.8 
			 2002 4.7 1,170.6 605.5 1,780.8 47,202.8 
			 2003 5.8 1,394.4 728.4 2,128.6 57,055.8 
			 2004 5.3 1,207.0 619 1,831.3 50,547.0 
			 2005 (2) 0.5 0.4 0.9 21.0 
			 2006 (2) 0.1 (2) 0.1 2.5 
			 2007 (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) 
			 (1) Estimates are based on a 1 in 20 sample of all exempt prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists, appliance contractors and dispensing doctors. (2) Data have not been reported where 50 or fewer prescription items are estimated to have been dispensed during the period.  Source: Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) data 
		
	
	Prescribing activity for individual primary care trusts (PCTs) for 2004the most recent year reportable prescribing took place, has been placed in the Library. From 2005 to 2007 less than 50 items were dispensed in the community each year in a significant number of PCTs. Releasing actual figures may potentially allow the identification of individual patients. NHS Prescription Services retains these data for 60 months on a rolling basis, therefore this information is not available at PCT level prior to 2004.
	Information on the number of people who have suffered heart attacks or fatal heart attacks while prescribed Vioxx is not available.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcoholic Drinks: Crime

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions for being drunk and disorderly there have been in the Chelmsford division of the Essex police force area in each of the last 10 years.

Alan Campbell: Court proceedings data, and PND data, are collected centrally at police force area level and are not further broken down. Therefore data for the Chelmsford division of the Essex police force are not available.
	The number of persons found guilty at all courts for being drunk and disorderly in the Essex police force area, from 1998 to 2007, is given in table 1.
	Additionally, penalty notices for disorder (PNDs) are available for this offence. The number of PNDs issued to persons aged 16 and over for being drunk and disorderly in the Essex police force area, from 2004, when the scheme was implemented to 2007 is given in table 2.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of persons found guilty at all courts for drunk and disorderly related offences in the Essex police force area, from 1998 to 2007( 1,2,3) 
			   Number 
			 1998 566 
			 1999 587 
			 2000 596 
			 2001 532 
			 2002 382 
			 2003 185 
			 2004 197 
			 2005 165 
			 2006 245 
			 2007 185 
			 (1) Data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Data include the following offence descriptions and corresponding statutes: Being found drunk in a highway or other Public place whether a building or not, or a licensed premises. Licensing Act 1872 Sec 12. Any person who in any public place is guilty, while drunk, of disorderly behaviour. Criminal Justice Act 1967 Sec.91. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts, and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Court proceedings data held by CJEAOffice for Criminal Justice ReformMinistry of Justice 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of penalty notices for disorder issued to persons aged 16 and over for offences of being drunk and disorderly( 1)  in the Essex police force area from 2004 - 07( 2) 
			   Number 
			 2004 738 
			 2005 672 
			 2006 905 
			 2007 478 
			 (1) Data include the following offence descriptions and corresponding statutes: Being found drunk in a highway or other public place, whether a building or not, or on licensed premisesLicensing Act 1872, section 12; Being guilty while drunk of disorderly behaviour - Criminal Justice Act 1967, section 91. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Office for Criminal Justice ReformEvidence and Analysis Unit.

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) prosecutions and  (b) convictions there were of retailers for selling alcohol to persons under 18 years old in 2007; and what the average fine imposed was on those convicted.

Alan Campbell: Data showing the number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and convicted at all courts, the number of persons fined and the average fine for selling alcohol to persons aged under 18, in England and Wales, for 2007 are shown in the following table.
	Additionally, penalty notices for disorder (PNDs) are available for this offence. The number of PNDs issued for sales of alcohol to persons aged under 18 are also included in the table.
	
		
			  Number of defendants( 1)  proceeded against at magistrates courts( 2) , convicted and fined at all courts( 2) , and the number of persons issued with a penalty notice for disorder (PND)( 3)  for sale of alcohol to a person under 18, England and Wales, 2007( 4) 
			  Statute  Description  Number proceeded against  Number found guilty  Number of fines  Average fine amount ()  Number of PNDs issued( 5) 
			 Licensing Act 2003s. 146 Sale of alcohol to person under 18 620 479 425 375 3,583 
			
			 Licensing Act 2003s. 147 Allowing sale of alcohol to person under 18 10 6 6 467 n/a 
			
			 Licensing Act 1964ss. 169A and 169B as added by Licensing (Young Persons) Act 2000s.1; Licensing (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983 s.3 (Sch. Para. 4 (1)) Selling etc. intoxicating liquor to persons under 18 for consumptionon the premises 63 40 37 276 n/a 
			
			 Licensing Act 1964S.181A (1) as added by Licensing Act 1988s.17 Wholesaler selling intoxicating liquor to a person under 18 n/a 
			
			 Licensing Act 2003S.147A as added by Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 Persistently selling alcohol to children n/a 
			
			 Total  693 525 468 369 3,583 
			 n/a = Not applicable (1) Defendants includes persons and 'other' defendants (companies and public bodies etc.). (2) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Sale of alcohol to a person under 18 is an 80 PND ticket offence. (4) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (5) Number of PNDs issued to persons aged 16 and over.  Source: Evidence and Analysis UnitOffice for Criminal Justice Reform

Antisocial Behaviour: Crime Prevention

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what method her Department uses to apportion funding to local authorities to tackle anti-social behaviour.

Alan Campbell: Local authority funding generally takes the form of mainstream non-ring fenced grants or non-ring fenced area-based grant (ABG): a single capital pot designed to increase the funding flexibility and allow local areas much greater freedom to spend money in a way they see fit to support the delivery of local, regional and national priorities in their areas. The position in Wales is slightly different, whereby the funding for community safety partnerships has been consolidated into the crime reduction and antisocial behaviour national resource grant.
	In both England and Wales it is for local partnerships to agree how the grants received should be allocated against locally determined priorities, including tackling antisocial behaviour.

Antisocial Behaviour: Enfield

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to tackle antisocial behaviour in Enfield North constituency.

Alan Campbell: We have provided local agencies with a wide range of tools and powers to tackle antisocial behaviour to ensure they can tailor the response to each individual case. We have also provided front-line practitioners with updated guidance on providing support to victims and witnesses and the use of existing tools and powers, backed up with a programme of regional workshops.
	Enfield has established a multi-agency partnership between the council and the police who co-ordinate all issues of antisocial behaviour in the borough, which includes Enfield North. The team work closely with all partners including social housing providers in an effort to tackle antisocial behaviour in the area.

Appropriate Adults

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what progress has been made in her Department's review of the role of appropriate adults; and when the new guidance on the matter is expected to be published;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the merits of making it a statutory requirement that an appropriate adult be present at the police station in cases where the police have concerns about a suspect's mental state.

Vernon Coaker: holding answers 26 January 2009 and 2 February 2009
	 Code of Practice C for the Detention, treatment and questioning of persons by police officers issued under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 requires that if an officer has any suspicion, or is told in good faith, that a person of any age may be mentally disordered or otherwise mentally vulnerable, or mentally incapable of understanding the significance of questions or replies that person shall be treated as mentally disordered or otherwise mentally vulnerable. In those circumstances, an appropriate adult must be called. The Review of PACE, published in August 2008 as a public consultation document, contained proposals on the role, training and use of appropriate adults.
	We intend to publish the summary of responses to the consultation paper in March 2009.

Cannabis

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research has been  (a) evaluated and  (b) commissioned by her Department on the likely effects of the change in classification of cannabis on (i) the numbers in prison and (ii) the cost of arrest, prosecution and imprisonment in each of the next five years; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 27 January 2009
	The likely effects of the reclassification of cannabis to a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 have been evaluated in the regulatory impact assessment (IA)(1) produced to accompany the Parliamentary Order. This IA is an internal evaluation. Based on existing evidence the IA makes a series of key assumptions; it forecasts potential liabilities associated with the legislative and the proposed enforcement change. The IA is published at:
	http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2008/em/uksiem_20083130_en.pdf
	Estimates of unit costs applied to criminal justice system outcomes within the IA were obtained from the agencies involved and from relevant research where available. As a result, volumes and figures stated are broad estimates; they do not necessarily reflect actual costs in any particular situation or point in time.
	In respect of prison places, the IA identifies potential additional prison places for cannabis possession offences; it estimates a potential increase in prison place requirement of 21 places over five years.
	For supply, trafficking and production offences the impact assessment clearly sets out the reasons why an assessment on prison places was not made. This includes the fact that the maximum sentence prescribed by the 1971 Act will remain unchanged at 14 years.
	The overall estimate change in the enforcement liability associated with cannabis possession including arrest and prosecution can be found in Table 6 of the IA as set out.
	(1) Please note the Impact Assessment was re laid on 16 January 2009. A drafting error in the IA was identified on 19 December 2008. Following this, the impact assessment was withdrawn from the OPSI website on 23 December 2009. A full review of the IA was undertaken and the revised document is now in the public domain. For a full explanation of the drafting error please see response to PQ 24583. The error identified in the document does not affect the estimates of costs of arrest, prosecution or prison numbers.
	
		
			  Table 6: Estimated change in enforcement liability against cannabis possession 
			   million 
			   Criminal Justice System  
			  Year  Police  CPS  HMCS( 1)  NOMS  Total CJS  Non-legal aid defence  Total 
			 Base 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
			 2 0.04 0.14 1.23 0.09 1.46 0.40 1.90 
			 3 0.13 0.20 2.18 0.13 2.51 0.58 3.22 
			 4 0.25 0.39 3.49 0.24 4.12 1.01 5.38 
			 5 0.34 0.61 4.71 0.38 5.70 1.47 7.50 
			 6 0.40 0.81 5.67 0.49 6.97 1.86 9.23 
			 7 0.42 0.96 6.31 0.58 7.85 2.16 10.44 
			 8 0.42 1.05 6.66 0.64 8.36 2.35 11.13 
			 (1) HMCS costs include court costs, costs from PNDs, legal aid and central funds costs.

Cannabis

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the likely effect of the reclassification of cannabis on  (a) the numbers using cannabis and  (b) the numbers using other illegal drugs.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 13 January 2009
	In respect of the movement to Class B alone on the numbers using cannabis there is no claim that this alone will act as a deterrent on cannabis use.
	The Impact Assessment (IA)(1) on the reclassification of cannabis looks at reclassification alongside a step change in enforcement response and the potential change in the estimated population of cannabis users. Based on existing evidence the IA makes a series of key assumptions; it forecasts potential liabilities and volumes associated with the legislative and proposed enforcement response. These assumptions include a reduction in the population of serious cannabis users following recent British Crime Survey trends, desistance from users 'getting older' and increased desistance of users is assumed following more robust contact with police and the Criminal Justice System. The full IA can be found at:
	http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2008/em/uksiem_20083130_en.pdf
	Over the seven year period examined in the impact assessment there is estimated to be a desistance of an additional 23,000 serious cannabis users under reclassification alongside the associated enforcement response. The estimated difference in total population of serious cannabis users under reclassification and the enforcement response is set out in Table 8 of the aforementioned impact assessment.
	There has been no assessment of how cannabis reclassification will impact on those using other illegal drugs.
	(1) In preparing the response to this PQ a minor drafting error was identified in the Impact Assessment (IA). As a consequence the IA was withdrawn from the public domain. A revised version was re laid in Parliament on 16 January 2009.
	The erroneous sentence in the IA stated:
	Over the entire period, the change option is estimated to result in the desistence of 72,000 additional serious cannabis users
	and appeared on page 15 of the original IA as found on the OPSI website. The cited figure of 72,000 was incorrectly quoted as a result of misinterpretation of the figures in Table 8 as relating to annual levels of desistance, rather than the cumulative level of desistance. The correct figure of 23,000 additionally desisting over seven years was cited in the preceding sentence and contained in Table 8 of the IA. Following the identification of this error a full review of all figures and tabular information contained in the IA has been conducted. There have been no errors in the original calculations contained within the IA.
	
		
			  Table 8: Estimated total population of serious cannabis offenders by year 
			   Population of offenders, do nothing  Population of offenders, change  Difference  Percentage 
			 Base 416,769 416,769 0 0.00 
			 2 396,179 396,491 -312 -0.08 
			 3 376,576 373,297 3,279 0.87 
			 4 357,914 352,153 5,761 1.61 
			 5 340,148 331,124 9,024 2.65 
			 6 323,240 310,103 13,138 4.06 
			 7 307,153 289,260 17,892 5.83 
			 8 291,849 268,836 23,013 7.89

Cannabis

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training police officers receive to allow them to recognise cannabis.

Jacqui Smith: All student police officers are issued with notes which cover drugs and their supply, importation and manufacture. The identification of classified drugs is also dealt with in a case study exercise.
	As part of their training, it is common practice for student police officers to undertake a familiarisation exercise with samples of a variety of drugs. This helps student officers to recognise different drugs, both visually and by smell. Due care must be exercised to ensure that any illegal drugs used for training purposes are closely monitored and controlled.

Children: Internet

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to ensure that social networking sites act upon requests from adoptive parents and adoption agencies where they have a reasonable fear for the safety of the adopted child via such sites.

Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply.
	The Home Office Task Force on Child Protection on the Internet published good practice guidance for social networking sites last year. The guidance provides recommendations for how the managers of such sites should deal with incidents of bullying and other forms of abuse or threats to children's safety, and to make it easy for all young people and their parents or guardians to report their concerns.
	This guidance is being promoted by the newly formed UK Council for Child Internet Safety and has formed the core of the new European Agreement on Social Networking. Social networking sites are expected to inform the European Commission about their individual safety policies and how they will put these principles in place by April 2009.
	The guidance may be downloaded from:
	http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/operational-policing/social-networking-guidance/
	A copy has been placed in the Libraries.

Crime Prevention

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information her Department collects on each crime and disorder reduction partnership.

Jacqui Smith: The Home Office collects information relating to the community safety indicators of the new National Indicator Set for Local Government in England. Much of this information is available at CDRP level, including crime data.
	The Home Office also collects specific information from CDRPs relating to particular policy areas where this is deemed necessary to support delivery. Currently this relates to quarterly information on antisocial behaviour, which is submitted on a voluntarily basis from each CDRP on local activity, and information due in April from 198 areas involved in a three-month Alcohol Related Partnership Activity campaign ending in March 2009.

Crime Prevention: International Cooperation

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she has taken in preparation for the UN General Assembly Special Session on Narcotic Drugs; and what objectives she has set for the session.

Alan Campbell: A 1998 UN General Assembly special session on countering the world drug problem agreed a political declaration to establish goals and targets to be met over a 10 year period. A high-level segment at the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs in March 2009 will review progress against the 1998 Declaration and adopt a further declaration on future approaches to countering the world drug problem.
	The Government's priorities for the review process are:
	Improving and strengthening data collection and analysis by the UN as an essential basis for all UN drugs activity;
	Adherence by UN drugs bodies to the UN's Delivery as One concept - supporting the UN's Millennium Development goal to reduce the incidence of HIV/AIDS, and improving access to controlled opiate-based medication for developing nations;
	Encouraging of effective law-enforcement effort through greater information sharing and analysis on the manufacture, supply and consumption of drugs in order to ensure that policy decisions are based on evidence;
	Recognition of the effectiveness of using intelligence in combating drug supply, in particular combating trafficking in narcotic drugs, and encouraging sharing of intelligence between law enforcement agencies;
	Recognition that illicit production and trafficking of drugs fuels instability and insecurity in many parts of the world;
	Strengthening regional and international co-operation in combating the illicit cultivation, manufacture, trafficking and consumption of illicit drugs;
	Affirmation of the need to devote particular attention to measures for the control of precursor chemicals;
	Reflection of the Government's position that eradication of illicit crops in Afghanistan and elsewhere is targeted on areas where farmers have access to alternative sources of income.

Crime: Business

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences of  (a) shoplifting,  (b) robbery of business property and  (c) theft by an employee were recorded by police in the quarter (i) July to September 2006, (ii) July to September 2007 and (iii) July to September 2008.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Selected offences recorded by the police in England and Wales 
			  Offence  July to September 2006  July to September 2007  July to September 2008 
			 Shoplifting 70,085 71,099 79,410 
			 Robbery of business property 2,009 1,886 1,999 
			 Theft by an employee 4,139 3,853 4,072

Crimes of Violence

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of incidents of violence against the person in each police force area in 2007-08 involved a  (a) knife,  (b) hitting implement,  (c) glass or bottle,  (d) stabbing implement,  (e) firearm,  (f) stone or stones,  (g) syringe and  (h) other implement.

Alan Campbell: The particular nature of incidents cannot be identified from the main recorded crime dataset. Available information is from the firearm offences database and relates only to violence against the person offences recorded by the police in England and Wales in which firearms (including air weapons) were reported to have been used.
	
		
			  Number and percentage of violence against the person offences in which firearms (including air weapons) were used( 1) : England and Wales, 2007-08 
			  Police force area  Number of firearm offences  Percentage of all violence against the person offences 
			  North East Region   
			 Cleveland 30 0.23 
			 Durham 47 0.54 
			 Northumbria 84 0.43 
			
			  North West Region   
			 Cheshire 45 0.30 
			 Cumbria 21 0.26 
			 Greater Manchester 757 1.51 
			 Lancashire 212 0.85 
			 Merseyside 206 0.99 
			
			  Yorkshire and the Humber Region   
			 Humberside 64 0.33 
			 North Yorkshire 15 0.16 
			 South Yorkshire 202 0.83 
			 West Yorkshire 283 0.73 
			
			  East Midlands Region   
			 Derbyshire 86 0.51 
			 Leicestershire 107 0.57 
			 Lincolnshire 50 0.53 
			 Northamptonshire 100 0.94 
			 Nottinghamshire 180 0.91 
			
			  West Midlands Region   
			 Staffordshire 123 0.62 
			 Warwickshire 66 0.88 
			 West Mercia 130 0.83 
			 West Midlands 507 0.95 
			
			  East of England Region   
			 Bedfordshire 44 0.58 
			 Cambridgeshire 23 0.22 
			 Essex 165 0.71 
			 Hertfordshire 92 0.69 
			 Norfolk 36 0.36 
			 Suffolk 38 0.40 
			
			  London Region 1,334 0.77 
			
			  South East Region   
			 Hampshire 90 0.23 
			 Kent 99 0.39 
			 Surrey 55 0.39 
			 Sussex 81 0.32 
			 Thames Valley 144 0.34 
			
			  South West Region   
			 Avon and Somerset 107 0.39 
			 Devon and Cornwall 126 0.54 
			 Dorset 11 0.10 
			 Gloucestershire 57 0.61 
			 Wiltshire 43 0.53 
			
			  Wales   
			 Dyfed Powys 24 0.40 
			 Gwent 58 0.57 
			 North Wales 65 0.59 
			 South Wales 78 0.35 
			
			  England  a nd Wales 6,085 0.64 
			 (1) By weapon being fired, used as a blunt instrument or in a threat.

Departmental Legislation

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what  (a) primary and  (b) secondary legislation sponsored by her Department and directly affecting the operation of police forces was introduced since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: The principal measures in primary and secondary legislation since 1997 to 2009 which affect police forces are set out in the following lists. There were 189an average of 16 per year. Between 1990 and 1997 there werean average of 17 per year.
	 Primary legislation
	1. Police Act 1997 (c. 50)
	2. Police and Firemen's Pensions Act 1997 (c.52)
	3. Police (Health and Safety) Act 1997 (c.42)
	4. Police (Insurance of Voluntary Assistants) Act 1997 (c.45)
	5. Police (Property) Act 1997 (c.30)
	6. Police (Northern Ireland) Act 1998 (c.32)
	7. Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000 (c.32)
	8. Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 (c.16)
	9. Police Reform Act 2002 (c.30)
	10. Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2003 (c.6)
	11. Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c.15)
	12. Police and Justice Act 2006 (c.48)
	 Secondary legislation
	1. The National Police Records (Recordable Offences) (Amendment) Regulations 1997 SI 1997/566
	2. The Common Police Services (Scotland) Order 1997 SI 1997/695
	3. The Police Grant (Scotland) Order 1997 SI 1997/721
	4. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Codes of Practice No. 4) Order 1997 SI 1997/1159
	5. The Police Pensions (Amendment) Regulations 1997 SI 1997/1429
	6. The Contracting Out (Metropolitan Police and Civil Staffs Pensions) Order 1997 SI 1997/1736
	7. The Police (Health and Safety) (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 SI 1997/1774
	8. The West Mercia (Police Area and Authority) Order 1997 SI 1997/1844
	9. The Cheshire (Police Area and Authority) Order 1997 SI 1997/1845
	10. The Cambridgeshire (Police Area and Authority) Order 1997 SI 1997/1846
	11. The Essex (Police Area and Authority) Order 1997 SI 1997/1847
	12. The Thames Valley (Police Authority) Order 1997 SI 1997/1848
	13. The Devon and Cornwall (Police Area and Authority) Order 1997 SI 1997/1849
	14. The Nottinghamshire (Police Area and Authority) Order 1997 SI 1997/1850
	15. The Lancashire (Police Area and Authority) Order 1997 SI 1997/1855
	16. The Kent (Police Area and Authority) Order 1997 SI 1997/1857
	17. The Police (Property) Regulations 1997 SI 1997/1908
	18. The Police Pensions (Provision of Information) Regulations 1997 SI 1997/1912
	19. The Number of Members of Thames Valley Police Authority Order 1997 SI 1997/2293
	20. The Police Act 1997 (Provisions in relation to the NCIS Service Authority) (No. 2) Order 1997 SI 1997/2391
	21. The Police Authorities (Standing Orders) Regulations 1997 SI 1997/2416
	22. The Police Cadets (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 1997 SI 1997/2791
	23. The Police Pensions (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 1997 SI 1997/2852
	24. The Police (Secretary of State's Objectives) Order 1998 SI 1998/216
	25. The Police Information Technology Organisation (Additional Bodies) Order 1998 SI 1998/411
	26. The Police (Amendment) Regulations 1998 SI 1998/493
	27. The Police Pensions (Amendment) Regulations 1998 SI 1998/577
	28. The Police Grant (Scotland) Order 1998 SI 1998/611
	29. The Police Grant (No. 2) (Scotland) Order 1998 SI 1998/891
	30. The Number of Members of South Wales Police Authority Order 1998 SI 1998/3215
	31. The Police Act 1997 (Authorisation of Action in Respect of Property) (Code of Practice) Order 1998 SI1998/3240
	32. The Police Act 1997 (Notification of Authorisations etc.) Order 1998 SI 1998/3241
	33. The Police (Retention and Disposal of Items seized under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994) Regulations 1999 SI 1999/269
	34. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Codes of Practice No. 5) Order 1999 SI 1999/291
	35. The Police (Secretary of State's Objectives) Order 1999 SI 1999/543
	36. The Police (Conduct) Regulations 1999 SI 1999/730
	37. The Police (Conduct) (Senior Officers) Regulations 1999 SI 1999/731
	38. The Police (Efficiency) Regulations 1999 SI 1999/732
	39. The Police Appeals Tribunals Rules 1999 SI 1999/818
	40. The Police (Health and Safety) Regulations 1999 SI 1999/860
	41. The Police Grant (Scotland) Order 1999 SI 1999/953
	42. The Police (Conduct) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 1999 SI 1999/1072
	43. The Police (Conduct) (Senior Officers) (Scotland) Regulations 1999 SI 1999/1074
	44. The Police (Secretary of State's Objectives) (No. 2) Order 1999 SI 1999/1415
	45. The Legal Advice and Assistance at Police Stations (Remuneration) (Amendment) Regulations 1999 SI 1999/2088
	46. The Greater London Authority Act 1999 (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) (Police) Order 1999 SI 1999/3272
	47. The Legal Advice and Assistance at Police Stations (Remuneration) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 1999 SI 1999/3299
	48. The Police (Secretary of State's Objectives) (No. 3) Order 1999 SI 1999/3424
	49. The Police Pensions (Amendment) Regulations 2000 SI 2000/843
	50. The National Police Records (Recordable Offences) Regulations 2000 SI 2000/1139
	51. The Metropolitan Police (Capital Finance) Order 2000 SI 2000/1474
	52. The Greater London Authority Act 1999 (Consequential Amendments) (Police) Order 2000 SI 2000/1549
	53. The Police (Amendment) Regulations 2000 SI 2000/2013
	54. The Terrorism Act 2000 (Code of Practice on the Exercise of Police Powers) (Northern Ireland) Order 2001 SI 2001/401
	55. The Legal Advice and Assistance at Police Stations (Remuneration) (Amendment) Regulations 2001 SI 2001/1181
	56. The Sex Offenders (Notification Requirements) (Prescribed Police Stations) Regulations 2001 SI 2001/1708
	57. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Codes of Practice) (Modification) Order 2001 SI 2001/2254
	58. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Tape-recording of Interviews) (Amendment) Order 2001 SI 2001/2480
	59. The Police (Northern Ireland) Order 2001 SI 2001/2513
	60. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Drug Testing of Persons in Police Detention) (Prescribed Persons) Regulations 2001 SI 2001/2645
	61. The Police (Amendment) Regulations 2001 SI 2001/3293
	62. The Police Authorities (Model Code of Conduct) Order 2001 SI 2001/3578
	63. The Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 (Consequential Amendments) (Police Ranks) Regulations 2001 SI 2001/3888
	64. The Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 (Central Police Training and Development Authority) (Transitional Provisions) Order 2002 SI 2002/534
	65. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Codes of Practice) (Temporary Modifications to Code D) Order 2002 SI 2002/615
	66. The Police Authorities (Best Value) Performance Indicators Order 2002 SI 2002/694
	67. The Police (Secretary of State's Objectives) Order 2002 SI 2002/695
	68. The Police (Promotion) (Amendment) Regulations 2002 SI 2002/767
	69. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Visual Recording of Interviews) (Certain Police Areas) Order 2002 SI 2002/1069
	70. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Codes of Practice) (Modifications to Code C and Code D) (Certain Police Areas) Order 2002 SI 2002/1150
	71. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Codes of Practice) (Visual Recording of Interviews) Order 2002 SI 2002/1266
	72. The Police Authorities (Selection Panel) (Amendment) Regulations 2002 SI 2002/1282
	73. The Police (Retention and Disposal of Items Seized) Regulations 2002 SI 2002/1372
	74. The Police (Amendment) Regulations 2002 SI 2002/1758
	75. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Codes of Practice) (Modifications to Code C and Code D) (Certain Police Areas) (Amendment) Order 2002 SI 2002/1863
	76. The Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 (Amendment) Order 2002 SI 2002/1934
	77. The Police (Property) (Amendment) Regulations 2002 SI 2002/2313
	78. The Police Authorities (Three-year Strategy Plans) Regulations 2002 SI 2002/2526
	79. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Visual Recording of Interviews) (Certain Police Areas) (No. 2) Order 2002 SI 2002/2527
	80. The Police (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2002 SI 2002/2529
	81. The Police (Retention and Disposal of Motor Vehicles) Regulations 2002 SI 2002/3049
	82. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Codes of Practice) (Statutory Powers of Stop and Search) Order 2002 SI 2002/3075
	83. The Police (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2002 SI 2002/3162
	84. The Police Pensions (Pension Sharing) Regulations 2002 SI 2002/3202
	85. The Police Pensions (Amendment) Regulations 2003 SI 2003/27
	86. The Police Authorities (Best Value) Performance Indicators Order 2003 SI 2003/519
	87. The Police Regulations 2003 SI 2003/527
	88. The Police (Efficiency) (Amendment) Regulations 2003 SI 2003/528
	89. The Police Pensions (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2003 SI 2003/535
	90. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Codes of Practice) (Codes B to E) (No. 2) Order 2003 SI 2003/703
	91. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Codes of Practice) (Modifications to Codes C and D)(Certain Police Areas) Order 2003 SI 2003/704
	92. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Codes of Practice) (Code E) Order 2003 SI 2003/705
	93. The Police (Revocation of Secretary of State's Objectives) Order 2003 SI 2003/830
	94. The Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 (Powers of Seizure) Order 2003 SI 2003/934
	95. The Police Authorities (Best Value) Performance Indicators (Amendment) Order 2003 SI 2003/1265
	96. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Remote Reviews of Detention) (Specified Police Stations) Regulations 2003 SI 2003/2397
	97. The Police (Amendment) Regulations 2003 SI 2003/2594
	98. The Police (Promotion) (Amendment) Regulations 2003 SI 2003/2595
	99. The Police (Conduct) (Senior Officers) (Amendment) Regulations 2003 SI 2003/2596
	100. The Police Appeals Tribunals (Amendment) Rules 2003 SI 2003/2597
	101. The National Crime Squad (Senior Police Members) (Appeals) (Revocation) Order 2003 SI 2003/2598
	102. The Police (Conduct) (Amendment) Regulations 2003 SI 2003/2599
	103. The Police (Efficiency) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2003 SI 2003/2600
	104. The Police (Complaints) (General) (Amendment) Regulations 2003 SI 2003/2602
	105. The Police Pensions (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2003 SI 2003/2716
	106. The Police Pensions (Additional Voluntary Contributions) (Amendment) Regulations 2003 SI 2003/2717
	107. The National Police Records (Recordable Offences) (Amendment) Regulations 2003 SI 2003/2823
	108. The Extradition Act 2003 (Police Powers) Order 2003 SI 2003/3106
	109. The Extradition Act 2003 (Police Powers)(Northern Ireland) Order 2003 SI 2003/3107
	110. The Extradition Act 2003 (Police Powers: Codes of Practice) Order 2003 SI 2003/3336
	111. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Codes of Practice) (Modifications to Codes C and D) (Certain Police Areas) (Amendment) Order 2004 SI 2004/78
	112. The Police (Complaints and Misconduct) Regulations 2004 SI 2004/643
	113. The Police Authorities (Best Value) Performance Indicators Order 2004 SI 2004/644
	114. The Police (Conduct) Regulations 2004 SI 2004/645
	115. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (Staff Conduct) Regulations 2004 SI 2004/660
	116. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (Transitional Provisions) Order 2004 SI 2004/671
	117. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (Forces Maintained Otherwise than by Police Authorities) Order 2004 SI 2004/672
	118. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (Investigatory Powers) Order 2004 SI 2004/815
	119. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (Transitional Provisions) (Amendment) Order 2004 SI 2004/1092
	120. The Police Pensions (Amendment) Regulations 2004 SI 2004/1491
	121. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Remote Reviews of Detention) (Specified Police Stations) (Revocation) Regulations 2004 SI 2004/1503
	122. The Police Pensions (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2004 SI 2004/1760
	123. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Codes of Practice) Order 2004 SI 2004/1887
	124. The Police Pensions (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2004 SI 2004/2354
	125. The Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 (Amendment) and Police Reform Act 2002 (Modification) Order 2004 SI 2004/2540
	126. The Police Federation (Amendment) Regulations 2004 SI 2004/2660
	127. The Police (Amendment) Regulations 2004 SI 2004/3216
	128. The Police (Promotion) (Amendment) Regulations 2005 SI 2005/178
	129. The Police Authorities (Best Value) Performance Indicators Order 2005 SI 2005/470
	130. The Police Authorities (Lay Justices Selection Panel) Regulations 2005 SI 2005/584
	131. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Codes of Practice) (Revisions to Code C) Order 2005 SI 2005/602
	132. The Police Pensions (Part-time Service) Regulations 2005 SI 2005/1439
	133. The Police (Retention and Disposal of Motor Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations 2005 SI 2005/2702
	134. The Police (Amendment) Regulations 2005 SI 2005/2834
	135. The National Police Records (Recordable Offences) (Amendment) Regulations 2005 SI 2005/3106
	136. The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (Powers of Arrest) (Consequential Amendments) Order 2005 SI 2005/3389
	137. The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (Amendment) Order 2005 SI 2005/3496
	138. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Codes of Practice) Order 2005 SI 2005/3503
	139. The Police Act 1996 (Local Policing Summaries) Order 2006 SI 2006/122
	140. The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (Consequential and Supplementary Amendments to Secondary Legislation) Order 2006 SI 2006/594
	141. The Police Authorities (Best Value) Performance Indicators (Amendment) Order 2006 SI 2006/620
	142. The Police Pensions (Amendment) Regulations 2006 SI 2006/740
	143. The Police (Injury Benefit) Regulations 2006 SI 2006/932
	144. The Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 (Codes of Practice) (Temporary Modification to Code D) Order 2006 SI 2006/1081
	145. The Terrorism Act 2000 (Revised Code of Practice for the Identification of Persons by Police Officers) (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 SI 2006/1330
	146. The Police (Complaints and Misconduct) (Amendment) Regulations 2006 SI 2006/1406
	147. The Police (Promotion) (Amendment) Regulations 2006 SI 2006/1442
	148. The Police (Amendment) Regulations 2006 SI 2006/1467
	149. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Code of Practice C and Code of Practice H) Order 2006 SI 2006/1938
	150. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Codes of Practice) (Revisions to Code A) Order 2006 SI 2006/2165
	151. The Police (Minimum Age for Appointment) Regulations 2006 SI 2006/2278
	152. The Police and Justice Act 2006 (Supplementary and Transitional Provisions) Order 2006 SI 2006/3365
	153. The Police Pensions Regulations SI 2006/3415
	154. The Police (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2006 SI 2006/3449
	155. The Police and Criminal Evidence (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 SI 2007/288
	156. The Police (Amendment) Regulations 2007 SI 2007/1160
	157. The Police (Fingerprints) Regulations 2007 SI 2007/1162
	158. The Police Pension Fund Regulations 2007 SI 2007/1932
	159. The National Police Records (Recordable Offences) (Amendment) Regulations 2007 SI 2007/2121
	160. The Police Federation (Amendment) Regulations 2007 SI 2007/2751
	161. The Police Reform Act 2002 (Standard Powers and Duties of Community Support Officers) Order 2007 SI 2007/3202
	162. The Police Authorities (Particular Functions and Transitional Provisions) Order 2008 SI 2008/82
	163. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Codes of Practice) Order 2008 SI 2008/167
	164. The Police (Promotion) (Amendment) Regulations 2008 SI 2008/273
	165. The Police and Justice Act 2006 (Supplementary and Transitional Provisions) (Amendment) Order 2008 SI 2008/619
	166. The Police Authority Regulations 2008 SI 2008/630
	167. The Metropolitan Police Authority Regulations 2008 SI 2008/631
	168. The Police Authorities (Best Value) Performance Indicators Order 2008 SI 2008/659
	169. The Police Pensions (Amendment) Regulations 2008 SI 2008/1887
	170. The Police (Retention and Disposal of Motor Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations 2008 SI 2008/2096
	171. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Codes of Practice) (Revisions to Code A) Order 2008 SI 2008/2638
	172. The Police (Performance) Regulations 2008 SI 2008/2862
	173. The Police Appeals Tribunals Rules 2008 SI 2008/2863
	174. The Police (Conduct) Regulations 2008 SI 2008/2864
	175. The Police (Amendment) Regulations 2008 SI 2008/2865
	176. The Police (Complaints and Misconduct) (Amendment) Regulations 2008 SI 2008/2866
	177. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Codes of Practice) (Revisions to Code A) (No. 2) Order 2008 SI 2008/3146.

Dogs: Crime

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 in combating crime involving dogs; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 23 February 2009
	There has been no recent assessment of this Act by the Home Department. This Government are determined to curb the use of dogs by criminals and, in particular, gangs. Our proposed amendments to the Police and Crime Bill 2009 will build on existing legislation, to further target the use of dogs by gangs. The amendment will give the courts power to stop an individual taking charge of a dog in a public place if it is being used to support gang related activity.

Domestic Violence

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment her Department has made of the merits of bringing forward proposals to reduce levels of financial abuse in domestic settings; if she will review the Domestic Violence National Action Plan in respect of such proposals; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: The Government do recognise the financial and economic impact that happens within domestic violence relationships. We are working with stakeholders and the British Banker's Association to ensure that both domestic violence victims and their advisers are more fully informed of their options. We will be considering this issue when developing our Delivery Plan in the future and recently produced a leaflet including some advice on this issue. From the information received on domestic violence cases we are not able to identify the financial abuse aspect.

Driving Under Influence

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences of causing death by careless driving when under the influence of  (a) drugs and  (b) alcohol have been recorded by police since 2004.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not currently available. For the period up until 2007-08, the Home Office collected data on recorded offences of 'Causing death by dangerous or careless driving (including while under the influence of drink or drugs)'. However, it has not been possible to determine from the information held centrally which, if any, of these offences were committed while the offender was under the influence.
	However, with effect from April 2008, offences of 'Causing death by careless driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol' have been collected separately and figures for 2008-09 will be available in July 2009.

Drugs: Misuse

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what qualifications the initial assessors referred to in Part 3 of the Drugs Act 2005 are required to have for the role of establishing drug misuse; whether all police stations have at least one qualified initial assessor; and what estimate she has made of the cost of maintaining and training an initial assessor in the last 12 months for which information is available.

Alan Campbell: The current specification of the qualifications for initial assessors who deliver interventions under the drug interventions programme is given in the Home Office operational guidance for implementation of testing on arrest, required assessment and restriction on bail. That guidance defines initial assessors as
	'somebody who is competent to carry out the initial assessment and will, in almost all instances, be a CJIT (criminal justice integrated team) worker, who will also be employed to carry out voluntary assessments in the same area. All such workers will have, or be working towards, the relevant drug and alcohol national occupational standards (DANOS) competencies'.
	In the majority of cases, CJIT workers will carry out initial assessments within custody suites. CJIT workers are employed by drug action teams and substance misuse action teams who are responsible for delivering drug interventions programme services in their areas.
	There is no national estimate of the training and maintaining costs of local initial assessors.

Emergency Calls

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time equivalent operators for 999 calls there were in each year since 1997; and how many such calls there were in each of those years.

Jacqui Smith: Data provided from the Home Office's collection relate to the volume of 999 calls since 2005-06, and are given in the following table. Previous data were published as part of HMIC's Annual Report and can be found at:
	http://inspectorates.homeoffice.gov.uk/hmic/inspections/annual-reports/
	Data for the number of operators dealing specifically with 999 calls are not collected centrally.
	
		
			  Emergency calls received 2005-06 to 2007-08( 1) 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Avon and Somerset 266,480 344,717 290,600 
			 Bedfordshire 89,623 97,357 99,700 
			 Cambridgeshire 125,637 142,520 142,806 
			 Cheshire 153,818 153,233 146,632 
			 Cleveland 99,179 104,779 104,190 
			 Cumbria 55,002 59,629 58,766 
			 Derbyshire 138,626 159,363 155,505 
			 Devon and Cornwall 252,408 268,763 261,396 
			 Dorset 93,634 85,140 94,421 
			 Durham 85,431 99,623 94,883 
			 Dyfed-Powys 57,975 52,026 46,709 
			 Essex 237,440 265,394 258,882 
			 Gloucestershire 76,279 467,709 78,263 
			 Greater Manchester 747,224 751,545 650,254 
			 Gwent 97,320 109,401 104,386 
			 Hampshire 275,073 290,987 284,982 
			 Hertfordshire 169,080 168,388 166,416 
			 Humberside 154,598 156,655 154,706 
			 Kent 236,267 234,421 242,194 
			 Lancashire 247,794 266,505 249,028 
			 Leicestershire 155,602 151,539 148,103 
			 Lincolnshire 83,855 88,617 86,525 
			 London, City of 2,166,655 2,282,646 n/a 
			 Merseyside 363,036 374,864 330,640 
			 Metropolitan Police 2,124,000 2,278,003 2,444,417 
			 Norfolk 102,324 104,119 102,293 
			 Northamptonshire 129,349 117,115 116,005 
			 Northumbria 258,920 264,349 269,816 
			 North Wales 107,322 108,884 107,334 
			 North Yorkshire 89,329 97,884 93,902 
			 Nottinghamshire 260,436 265,992 264,515 
			 South Wales 265,312 292,558 279,760 
			 South Yorkshire 264,318 246,170 238,372 
			 Staffordshire 157,108 167,932 166,868 
			 Suffolk 95,663 100,351 96,836 
			 Surrey 150,942 166,496 156,977 
			 Sussex 255,257 272,173 258,740 
			 Thames Valley 331,222 354,667 333,767 
			 Warwickshire 79,476 87,490 81,869 
			 West Mercia n/a n/a 136,080 
			 West Midlands 669,615 708,764 679,005 
			 West Yorkshire 436,169 485,859 430,250 
			 Wiltshire 100,162 n/a 96,893 
			 n/a = Data not available. (1) Provisional data that have not been validated by police forces.

Freedom of Information

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long on average it took her Department to respond to the requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in 2008.

Alan Campbell: The available statistics on the timeliness of FOI requests received by the Home Office up to the third quarter of 2008 are published on the Ministry of Justice website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/freedomofinformationquarterly.htm

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she will reply to the letter to her of 20 October from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms A Mlay.

Jacqui Smith: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 16 December 2008.

National Security

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the appropriateness of the current official threat level.

Vernon Coaker: The current threat level for international terrorism is set at SEVERE.
	The Home Office do not make any assessments into the threat level. The threat level for international terrorism is assessed and set by the joint terrorism analysis centre (JTAC). The Security Service is responsible for assessing the level and nature of the threat arising from domestic terrorism, principally the Irish-related terrorist threat.
	More information on how the threat level is assessed can be found on the JTAC website at:
	http://www.intelligence.gov.uk/threat_levels.aspx

Offences Against Children: Internet

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of progress in securing the co-operation of internet service providers in deploying the blocking list of known child pornography web sites by the Internet Watch Foundation.

Alan Campbell: The Government warmly welcome the work done by industry to block images of child sexual abuse, resulting in 95 per cent. of consumer broadband lines being covered by blocking. The Government would like to thank the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) for their work to manage the creation of their list of sites that should be blocked. The UK now hosts less than 1 per cent. of the total number of child abuse image sites on the internet, and when one is identified it is quickly closed down.

Offensive Weapons: Greater Manchester

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal weapons were confiscated by the Greater Manchester police force in each year since 1997.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 18 December 2008
	This information is not held centrally.

Police: Enfield

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made towards delivering the policing pledge in Enfield.

Vernon Coaker: All police forces across England and Wales, including the Metropolitan police, have now implemented the national Policing Pledge. This means that every citizen in Enfield and throughout England and Wales has a clear minimum standard of what to expect from their police force. The focus for forces now is ensuring that local pledges are in place and that the public know what they are entitled to.
	The Policing Green Paper made it clear that the Home Office will now adopt a more strategic role, strengthening grassroots accountability and enhancing the role of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) in providing public assurance about the quality of policing in all forces. Locally, if the public do not feel the commitments embodied in the pledge are being met they can raise this with the police themselves or through their police authority.

Police: ICT

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police forces  (a) have adopted fully and  (b) are piloting ExISS release 1; how much was spent on the programme in 2007-08; and if she will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	ExISS release 1 consists of the police to magistrates court and the police to Crown Prosecution Service links.
	As of 18 February 2009, out of 43 police forces, 39 had completed deployment of the police to magistrates court link. 34 police forces had completed deployment of the police to Crown Prosecution Service link with a further eight police forces partially deployed. One police force was in the advanced stages of deployment planning for both release 1 links. No police force is piloting the link, all are either deployed or in the deployment phase.
	In the year 2007-08 there was a capital spend of 9 million on the programme.
	It should be noted that in addition to the programme to deploy ExISS release 1 to the 43 'Home Office' police forces, a further project is under way to deploy to the British Transport police, managed by the British Transport police themselves, with a target for deployment later in 2009.
	The primary aim of ExISS release 1 is to ensure that the links between the applications are being fully utilised in order for police, magistrates court and CPS staff to reduce the amount of re-keying of information that has already been entered into a partner organisation's application. By the end of the financial year 2008-09 it is expected that 40 police forces will have fully deployed ExISS release 1, and by the end of calendar 2009 all 43 forces will have fully deployed ExISS release 1. By the end of calendar 2008 ExISS release 1 had delivered 2.7 million of benefit to the agencies.

Police: Internet

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost of the police portal has been to date, including any costs associated with the termination of the contract for the creation of the portal.

Vernon Coaker: The police portal provided a national communications channel for the Police Service. It was procured in January 2001 and the total annual cost of running this service was just under 2 million per annum up to 31 March 2007 when the contract with the service provider expired. A replacement portal service was planned but owing to a number of issues the contract was terminated.
	Legal costs of 1,352,000 (inclusive of solicitors, barristers, experts, mediation costs and court fees) were incurred by the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) in connection with legal proceedings associated with the termination of the contract for a replacement portal service.
	The proceedings were settled out of court towards the end of 2008 to the mutual satisfaction of both parties. The issues being debated between NPIA and its supplier were set out in publicly available court documents. The terms of the settlement are confidential.

Police: Pay

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the salary range is of the chief constable of each constabulary for each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: Until September 2003, chief constables were paid according to a series of pay scales based on the population of the force area. Information on salaries paid to each chief constable from 1997 to September 2003 is not available centrally. From September 2003, the salaries for each chief constable post in England and Wales is contained in Home Office Circulars, which can be found on the Home Office website at:
	http://www.knowledgenetwork.gov.uk/HO/circular.nsf/ViewTemplatepercent20Forpercent20HOCircularsWeb?OpenForm
	I am also placing copies of the relevant Home Circulars in the House of Commons Library.

Police: Per Capita Costs

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average total  (a) direct staff cost,  (b) operational support cost,  (c) business support cost and  (d) cost excluding sustaining overhead for providing police assistance was for (i) a road traffic accident, (ii) public disorder, (iii) a missing person incident, (iv) a sudden or suspicious death and (v) other activities not related to crime was under the activity-based costs model in 2007-08.

Alan Campbell: Information on the average cost of providing policing assistance in 2007-08 for road traffic accidents, missing person incidents, and sudden or suspicious deaths is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Average costs of dealing with non-crime incidents 
			   
			   Total Direct Staff Cost (a)  Total Operational Support Cost (b)  Total Business Support Cost (c)  Total Cost Excluding Overheads (d) 
			 (i) Road Traffic Accident 167 112 68 347 
			 (iii) Missing Person Incident 270 195 107 573 
			 (iv) Sudden or Suspicious Death(1) 589 382 240 1,212 
			 (1)( )These figures exclude Dorset, Essex, the Metropolitan Police, Staffordshire, Suffolk and Thames Valley, from whom data were not available.  Notes: 1. Sudden deaths will only be those reported and later deemed to be non suspicious. All confirmed suspicious deaths amount to crime and would fall within crime data. 2. Consistent costing information is not available for (ii) public disorder and for (v) other non-crime incidents. 3. Unit costs are rounded.

Police: Surveillance

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 20 November 2008,  Official Report, column 729W, on police: surveillance, if she will place in the Library a redacted copy of the Guidance on the Lawful and Effective Use of Covert Techniques, removing restricted text.

Vernon Coaker: We are currently considering the publication of a non-restricted version of the guidance for other public authorities. If this proves practicable than I will be happy to place a copy of this guidance in the Library of the House.

Prostitution

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of women convicted of loitering and soliciting who will be ordered to attend meetings under the provisions of clause 16 of the Policing and Crime Bill in the first year of operation of the legislation.

Alan Campbell: The Home Office has published an impact assessment on this measure, which is available at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/iapolicecrimebill08/iaprostitutionreferral?view=Binary
	This estimates that up to 321 orders will be made in the year following implementation of this legislation.

Prostitution

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what resources she plans to make available to implement orders requiring attendance at meetings in clause 16 of the Policing and Crime Bill in the first year of its operation; and who will be responsible for the supervision of women convicted of loitering or soliciting under the terms of the proposed legislation.

Alan Campbell: We are currently considering this issue and will outline our plans in due course.
	Clause 16 provides for the court to appoint a supervisor in relation to an offender subject to an order. The intention is that the supervisor will normally be based in a dedicated support project for those involved in prostitution, where such a project exists in a local area.
	However, the role of the supervisor has not been defined in order to allow flexibility in how the order is delivered, and allow courts to appoint the most appropriate person.

Public Order

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements are in place for regular assessments of threats to public order; how frequently such assessments are carried out; when the last such assessment was made; and what consideration she has given to assessing the threat to public order arising from the current economic situation.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 29 January 2009
	The police are very experienced at public order policing and look at all information available to them, including economic factors, at a local and national level, continually, to ensure the police response is the best it can be. The police at the current time possess no information relating to a wave of potentially violent mass protests.

Rape: Convictions

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she has taken to increase the conviction rate in rape cases; and what assessment she has made of effectiveness of those steps.

Alan Campbell: The Government are committed to increasing the conviction rate for rape. In order to do so the Government have focused their effort on improving the response of the criminal justice system by implementing changes to the ways in which the Police and Crown Prosecution Service investigate and prosecute such cases and by providing special measures in court to ensure that victims are confident to come forward and report an offence, and see it through to conviction. The Government have also provided support for victims through services such as sexual assault referral centres and independent sexual violence advisors.
	There are a number of different ways of calculating conviction rates. In respect of cases that are prosecuted as rape that result in a conviction for rape, the conviction rate in 2007 was 37 per cent. This is the highest it has been for 10 years.

Rape: Victim Support Schemes

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of  (a) the ratio of rape crisis centres to the female population and  (b) the average waiting list of rape crisis centres in (i) London, (ii) Birmingham, (iii) Manchester, (iv) Newcastle upon Tyne and (v) Norwich; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: The Government do not collect this information.

Security Guards: Licensing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of appeals against the suspension or revocation of a licence by the Security Industry Authority have been upheld by the courts in each of the last five years.

Jacqui Smith: Information on the outcome of appeals against the suspension or revocation of a licence has only been collected since April 2008. Data on previous years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Between 1 April 2008 and 31 January 2009, 57 appeals against revocation were lodged, of which six of those that went to a hearing were upheld by the courts.
	In the same period seven appeals against suspension were lodged against revocation, of which two of those that went to a hearing were upheld by the courts.
	In addition, information about appeals lodged in relation to revocations on the basis of Right to Work checks which have taken place since late 2007 has been recorded separately. In 2007-08, there were 86 appeals lodged against revocation on the basis of Right to Work, of which one of those that went to a hearing was upheld by the courts. Between 1 April 2008 and 31 January 2009, 242 appeals were lodged against revocation on the basis of Right to Work, of which three of those that went to a hearing were upheld by the courts.

Security Guards: Licensing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many private security licences have been revoked by the Security Industry Authority;
	(2)  how many people are listed on the Security Industry Authority's register of licence holders as having a valid licence.

Jacqui Smith: As at 16 February 2009 the total number of licences revoked by the Security Industry Authority (SIA) was 11,676. The number of valid licences was 299,171.
	Statistics for valid and revoked licences are shown on the SIA's website at:
	http://www.the-sia.org.uk/home/licensing/stats_2.htm
	and are updated every week.

Security Guards: Licensing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many private security licences are currently suspended by the Security Industry Authority.

Jacqui Smith: As at 12 February 2009, 220 licences were suspended by the Security Industry Authority.

Security Guards: Licensing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time to process a licence application from  (a) British citizens,  (b) other EEA nationals and  (c) non-EEA nationals by the Security Industry Authority was in each of the last five years.

Jacqui Smith: This information is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Security Guards: Licensing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many offences under the Private Security Industry Act 2001 of  (a) working without a licence,  (b) breaking licence conditions and  (c) deploying unlicensed operatives have been identified by the Security Industry Authority's enforcement activity in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many people have been  (a) prosecuted and  (b) convicted for offences of (i) working without a licence, (ii) breaking licence conditions and (iii) deploying unlicensed operatives under the Private Security Industry Act 2001 in each of the last five years.

Jacqui Smith: Data on offences identified by the Security Industry Authority are not available.
	The following table provides annual data on the numbers of prosecutions and convictions for the offences of working without a licence and deploying unlicensed operatives under the Private Security Industry Act 2001.
	Data on the numbers and prosecutions and convictions for breaking licence conditions are not available. This is because offences under section 9(4) of the Private Security Industry Act 2001 cannot be separately identified.
	Data for 2008 will be available in late 2009.
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences under the 2001 Private Security Industry Act, England and Wales, 2004 - 07( 1, 2) 
			2004  2005  2006  2007 
			  Offence  Statute  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			 Offence of using unlicensed security operative Private Security Industry Act 2001 s.5(1)(4)   3  13 8 12 8 
			 Offence of using unlicensed wheel clampers operative Private Security Industry Act 2001 s.6(1)(4)   22 1 
			 Conduct prohibited without a licence Private Security Industry Act 2001 s.3(1)(6) 6 6 159 65 141 84 235 179 
			 (1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Sexual Offences

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make it her policy to gather specific information from local police forces on the ages of victims of sexual crimes in order to  (a) centrally record and  (b) centrally analyse the data.

Alan Campbell: The Home Office is currently developing a new system for receiving recorded crime data from police forces. This is designed to enable forces to submit information in the form of individual crime records. Data, once validated, will give the Home Office access to more detailed information about victims of crimes, including the age of victims. We expect this system to become fully operational during 2009-10.

Sexual Offences

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 were recorded in 2007-08, broken down by offence; what percentage of such offences was proceeded against at court; and what percentage resulted in  (a) a conviction and  (b) a sanction detection.

Alan Campbell: The information is not available in the form requested.
	Table 1 gives the number of offences recorded in 2007-08 for the offence classifications which came into force with the introduction of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. It also gives the number of offences detected by means of a sanction detection. Table 2 shows the numbers of defendants proceeded against and found guilty at all courts for 2007 and is taken from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform.
	The figures given in table 2 relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	Recorded crime and court proceedings statistics are from two different databases and recorded in quite different ways. Recorded crime data are provided on a financial year basis and count offences whereas court proceedings data are on a calendar year basis and count offenders. Therefore, these two separate data-sets are not directly comparable.
	
		
			  Table 1: Offences recorded under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and detected by means of a sanction detection2007-08 
			  Offence  Number of offences  Number of sanction detections 
			 Sexual assault on a male aged 13 and over 1,315 351 
			 Sexual assault on a male child under 13 1,118 354 
			 Rape of a female aged 16 and over 7,613 1,567 
			 Rape of a female child under 16 2,418 680 
			 Rape of a female child under 13 1,472 591 
			 Rape of a male aged 16 and over 334 49 
			 Rape of a male child under 16 235 109 
			 Rape of a male child under 13 427 175 
			 Sexual assault on a female aged 13 and over 15,790 4,082 
			 Sexual assault on a female child under 13 3,976 1,445 
			 Sexual activity involving a child under 13 1,836 659 
			 Sexual activity involving child under 16 3,100 1,035 
			 Causing sexual activity without consent 217 57 
			 Incest or familial sexual offences 1,125 429 
			 Sexual activity etc with a person with a mental disorder 128 43 
			 Abuse of children through prostitution and pornography 110 38 
			 Trafficking for sexual exploitation 56 25 
			 Abuse of position of trust of a sexual nature 327 234 
			 Sexual grooming 272 124 
			 Other miscellaneous sexual offences 8,727 2,420 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, England and Wales 2007( 1,2,3) 
			  Offence  Proceeded against  Found 
			 Sexual assault on a male aged 13 and over 125 74 
			 Sexual assault on a male child under 13 130 77 
			 Rape and attempted rape of a female aged 16 and over 1,290 421 
			 Rape and attempted rape of a female child under 16 648 276 
			 Rape and attempted rape of a female child under 13 227 93 
			 Rape and attempted rape of a male aged 16 and over 52 17 
			 Rape and attempted rape of a male child under 16 72 24 
			 Rape and attempted rape of a male child under 13 73 41 
			 Sexual assault on a female aged 13 and over 2,225 1,154 
			 Sexual assault on a female child under 13 582 342 
			 Sexual activity involving child under 13 337 206 
			 Sexual activity involving child under 16 692 620 
			 Causing sexual activity without consent 53 19 
			 Incest or familial sexual offences 131 99 
			 Sexual activity etc. with a person with a mental disorder 30 19 
			 Abuse of children through prostitution and pornography 43 27 
			 Trafficking for sexual exploitation 25 15 
			 Abuse of position of trust of a sexual nature 51 50 
			 Sexual grooming 41 51 
			 Other miscellaneous sexual offences 1,071 763 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) The found guilty column can often exceed the number proceeded against when a conviction takes place in a different month to when the proceeding was originally brought, or for a different offence.

Sexual Offences: Victim Support Schemes

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many local authorities have a specialist support service for women who have suffered sexual violence.

Alan Campbell: The Government do not collect this information.

Stop and Search

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1252W, on stop and search, how many of the resultant arrests were  (a) made under the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2000,  (b) of people aged 18 years or under and  (c) of people aged 18 years or under and made under the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2000.

Vernon Coaker: Information on the number of persons arrested under terrorism legislation and for other reasons following stops and searches under section 44 (sections 1 and 2) of the Terrorism Act 2000, from 1999-2000 to 2006-07 (latest available) are provided in the following table. It is not possible to separately identify arrests under the Terrorism Act 2000 from other terrorism legislation from the information reported to the Home Office.
	The data on stops and searches under terrorism legislation reported to the Home Office do not separately identify the age of persons searched.
	
		
			  Searches of pedestrians, vehicles and occupants under sections 44(1) and 44(2) of the Terrorism Act 2000( 1 ) and resultant arrests, 1999-2000  to  2006-07, England and Wales 
			  Number 
			  Stops and searches in order to prevent acts of terrorism 
			   Resultant arrests 
			   Total searches  Total arrests  Arrests for terrorism offences  Arrests for other reasons 
			 1999-2000 1,900 18 1 17 
			 2000-01 6,400 45 1 44 
			 2001-02 10,200 189 20 169 
			 2002-03 32,100 380 19 361 
			 2003-04 33,800 491 19 472 
			 2004-05(2) 37,000 468 64 404 
			 2005-06 50,000 563 105 458 
			 2006-07 41,900 480 28 452 
			 (1) Formerly sections 13A and 13B of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989 and repealed under the Terrorism Act 2000 (which came into force on 19 February 2001). (2) Figures updated since publication of the 2004-05 Bulletin.

Terrorism

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the possible effects of the Israeli military attack on Gaza on future levels of terrorism in the UK.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Office does not conduct assessments into the threat from international terrorism.
	The Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) is responsible for analysing all-source intelligence on the activities, intentions and capabilities of international terrorists who may threaten UK and allied interests worldwide.
	Its responsibilities include setting and analysing the threat level for international Terrorism to the UK and its assets, and providing detailed reports on trends, terrorist networks and capabilities.
	More information on JTAC can be found here:
	http://www.intelligence.gov.uk/agencies/jtac.aspx

Terrorism

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on the  (a) prepare,  (b) prevent,  (c) protect and  (d) pursue strands of the Contest counter-terrorism strategy in each of the last three years.

Vernon Coaker: The 2.5 billion Counter Terrorism and Intelligence budget supports a wide range of activities broader than the Contest strategy. In many cases within the Home Office those activities are in support of more than one strand and details spent under each strand is not currently available.

Terrorism: Internet

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many UK-based websites have been closed down because they contained extremist material inciting terrorism in the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: The legislation that allows a request to be made that unlawfully terrorism-related material is modified or removed from the internet is section 3 of the Terrorism Act 2006. Section 3 allows for the service of a notice by a constable where he or she is of the opinion that unlawfully terrorism-related material is available on an electronic service such as a website, on the person(s) responsible for that material. The notice requires that the unlawfully terrorism-related material is removed or modified within two working days.
	However, the preferred route of the police is to use informal contact with the communication service providers to request that the material is removed. To date no Section 3 notices have been issued as this informal route has proved effective but statistics covering the number of sites removed through such informal contact are not collected.

Theft: Motor Vehicles

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions her Department has had on the potential of stolen vehicle slowdown technology to assist in stopping vehicles; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: The Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB) is currently undertaking a range of work to identify new means of stopping vehicles. Investigation of existing products has found no commercial off-the-shelf solution that would meet police needs. HOSDB is therefore now looking at different technologies that might be used. The objective is to provide the police with equipment that meets their needs, is safe, affordable and is proportionate to the safety threat posed by a vehicle that has refused to stop and is under police pursuit. We are aware too of the developing potential of remote vehicle slowdown and stopping technology and are keeping in touch with progress to ensure we are able to benefit from advances in this area.

Theft: Motor Vehicles

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research her Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on stolen vehicle slowdown technology to assist the police in stopping vehicles; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: The Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB) is currently undertaking a range of work to identify new means of stopping vehicles. Investigation of existing products has found no commercial off-the-shelf solution that would meet police needs. HOSDB is therefore now looking at different technologies that might be used. The objective is to provide the police with equipment that meets their needs, is safe, affordable and is proportionate to the safety threat posed by a vehicle that has refused to stop and is under police pursuit. We are aware too of the developing potential of remote vehicle slowdown and stopping technology and are keeping in touch with progress to ensure we are able to benefit from advances in this area.

Tobacco: Young People

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences by  (a) confectioners and tobacconists and  (b) other retailers selling tobacco products to those aged under 16 were recorded in (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08; how many police cautions were issued in each case; how many fines were imposed in each case; and what the average fine imposed in each year was.

Alan Campbell: Information on the number of recorded offences of retailers selling tobacco products to those aged under 16 years is not collected centrally. This is a summary offence and is not included in the police recorded crime statistics.
	Statistics on the number of police cautions issued, the number of fines imposed and the average fines have been provided by the Ministry of Justice. The figures cover calendar years and are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Offenders( 1)  cautioned and fined for selling tobacco etc to persons under 16( 2) 
			   Number of police cautions issued  Number of fines imposed  Average fine amount () 
			 2006 3 51 330 
			 2007 1 49 324 
			 (1) These data are on a principal offence basis. (2) Children and Young Persons Act 1933 sec 7 as amended by the Children and Young Persons (Protection from Tobacco) Act 1991 sec 1.  Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Community Energy Saving Programme

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the budget of the Community Energy Saving Programme is for  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) each of the next five years.

Mike O'Brien: The Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP) proposes a new carbon reduction obligation on energy suppliers and electricity generators.
	The overall target for the CESP obligation will be specified in the legislation in terms of a carbon points score. We are proposing to set the overall target at a level that we estimate will require the obligated companies to deliver around 350 million worth of measures over the period of the obligation, achieving carbon savings of around 3.9 million tonnes.
	The Government are consulting on the timescale for the new CESP obligation, with the proposal that it should run until 2012.

Departmental Pensions

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to advise staff of pension options available to them in relation to added years or additional voluntary contributions.

Mike O'Brien: Members of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme receive an annual benefit statement showing the pension built up to date, and also a projection of their pension on retirement if they continue in service to scheme pension age. The benefit statement prompts the member to consider boosting their pension and provides details of the civil service pensions website where staff can obtain further information, including options for making additional voluntary contributions and a calculator to work out costs for added pension (previously added years).
	New entrants are informed of pension options in the employment offer and are provided with a pension information pack.
	Cabinet Office provides leaflets that explain added pension and additional voluntary contributions for members. The information is also available in scheme booklets. These are available on the civil service pensions website or on request from the member's pensions administrator.
	The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), which was formed on 3 October 2008, consists of posts taken from the existing Departments for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, (DEFRA), plus corporate services. DECC staff can access the BERR and DEFRA internal HR intranets to access information on a range of issues. This includes comprehensive information on how staff can boost their pension through added pension and additional voluntary contributions (AVCs).

Departmental Public Consultation

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consultations have been initiated by his Department since 6 October 2008, including the dates given for responses and the intended dates for report.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 23 February 2009
	Since 6 October 2008, DECC has initiated the following public consultations:
	
		
			  Consultation  Start date  Closes  Intended date of response 
			 The Environmental Permitting Regulations, Phase 2 (EPP2) 16 February 2009 18 May 2009 15 September 2009 
			 
			 Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP) 12 February 2009 8 May 2009 Summer 2009 
			 
			 Heat and Energy Saving Strategy Consultation 12 February 2009 8 May 2009 End of 2009. 
			 
			 Proposed amendments to the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target 2008-2011 12 February2009 14 April 2009 Summer 2009 
			 
			 The Severn Tidal Power Feasibility Study 26 January 2009 23 April 2009 To be announced in due course 
			 
			 Offshore Energy SEA (Strategic Environmental Assessment) Environmental Report 26 January 2009 22 April 2009 To be announced in due course 
			 
			 The Justification of Practices involving Ionising Radiation Regulations 2004: Consultation on the Nuclear Industry Association's Application to Justify New Nuclear Power Stations 17 December 2008 25 March 2009 A draft decision document, containing responses to this current consultation, is provisionally intended to be published in September 09. This itself is subject to consultation and the final Justification decision is not expected to be made until January 
			 
			 Consultation on offshore electricity transmission: a further joint Ofgem/DECC regulatory policy update 20 November 2008 9 January 2009 Spring 2009 
			 
			 Carbon units, the net UK carbon account and carbon accounting (under the Climate Change Act) 28 October 2008 19 January 2009 Alongside laying of carbon accounting Statutory Instrument at fiscal Budget 2009

Departmental Redundancy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many  (a) voluntary and  (b) compulsory redundancies there have been in his Department since its creation.

Mike O'Brien: None since its creation in October.

Electricity: Local Government

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will make it his policy to provide guidance to local authorities on the sale of surplus electricity generated by such authorities back to the National Grid; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 2 February 2009
	The Government want local authorities to be able to play a full role in development of renewable heat and electricity.
	The Local Government Act (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, as amended by the Energy Act 1989, includes a provision preventing local authorities from selling electricity which is produced otherwise than in association with heat.
	As announced in the consultation on heat and energy savings strategy, launched on 12 February, we will consult soon on whether and how those restrictions should be changed, with any amendments enacted through secondary legislation.

Electricity: Small Businesses

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the average amount a small business spent on its electricity supply in the last 12 months.

Mike O'Brien: The Department does not hold any data on electricity prices paid by small businesses. Data on prices are collected based on energy consumption levels, which do not always correspond to business size. Energy expenditure as a share of turnover varies widely from around 1 per cent. to over 20 per cent. depending upon the nature of the business.
	Energy prices for non-domestic consumers by consumption band are published quarterly in Table 3.4.1 of 'Quarterly Energy Prices', the latest edition of which was published in December 2008 and is available online at
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file49203.pdf

Energy Saving Trust

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which Minister in his Department oversees the  (a) Carbon Trust and  (b) Energy Saving Trust; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: I oversee the Carbon Trust and my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change is responsible for the Energy Savings Trust.

Energy Supply: Competition

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2009,  Official Report, column 118W, on energy supply, whether he received advice on competition issues from officials prior to the meeting he held with the main energy supply companies on 17 November 2008.

Mike O'Brien: I am told that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy regularly requests and receives oral and written advice on a number of issues relating to competition in the energy supply markets, and did so prior to that meeting.

Energy Supply: Unfair Practices

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to eradicate sales malpractices by gas and electricity suppliers.

Mike O'Brien: The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) is responsible for regulating gas and electricity supply, including the sales practice of suppliers. It is open to Ofgem to take enforcement action where it considers there has been a breach of any relevant licence condition or other obligations. In December 2008, Ofgem announced that it was fining Npower 1.8million for breach of its licence obligations for failing to take sufficient action to prevent mis-selling of energy contracts to customers.

Energy: Meters

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate he has made of the number of domestic  (a) gas and  (b) electricity meters in UK households that are (i) less than five years old and (ii) between five and 10 years old.

Mike O'Brien: Around 5 per cent. of the domestic meter stock is replaced or newly installed each year around one million gas and 1.35 million electricity meters. On that basis, five million gas and 6.75 million electricity meters will be less than five years old, and a further five million gas and 6.75 million electricity meters will be between five and 10 years old.

Energy: Prices

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether Ofgem has received notifications from energy supply companies of intentions to reduce domestic energy prices since British Gas last reduced its prices to domestic consumers.

Mike O'Brien: Ofgem had anticipated moves to reduce prices prior to British Gas' announcement and expects further moves from other suppliers. Scottish and Southern Electricity plc has already announced that it will reduce its prices for domestic gas and electricity customers on 30 March 2009, and E.On has also made an announcement. However, there is no legal requirement for suppliers to share details of price movements with the regulator prior to their being announced publicly.
	From February, Ofgem will publish the first of its quarterly reports showing the relationship between wholesale energy costs and retail prices, which should improve transparency for customers.

Energy: Prices

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the average cost of household energy in each of the last 10 years in each  (a) Government Office region,  (b) local authority area and  (c) constituency.

Mike O'Brien: DECC does not hold billing information by Government office region, local authority or constituency.
	However, DECC does hold information on the average annual gas and electricity bills a household is likely to incur in each PES (public electricity supplier) area and gas LDZ (local distribution zone). These bills are based on standard consumption levels of 3,300 kWh for electricity and 18,000 kWh for gas for customers paying their bill on receipt(standard credit). As the PES and LDZ regions do not exactly match data for electricity and gas are shown separately.
	
		
			  Average annual electricity bills( 1)  for standard credit customers from 1998 until 2008 
			   1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 East Midlands 261 254 240 233 228 228 239 266 321 372 396 
			 Eastern 263 251 241 230 227 226 231 262 316 368 393 
			 London 263 258 252 246 244 249 252 288 339 371 392 
			 Merseyside and North Wales 280 278 271 261 260 261 274 286 357 396 422 
			 North East 287 284 264 253 253 250 256 288 341 402 429 
			 North West 260 257 249 239 237 235 243 270 327 380 407 
			 Northern Ireland 326 326 308 317 325 325 329 338 360 377 394 
			 Northern Scotland 280 277 272 266 271 275 291 304 338 380 401 
			 South East 258 251 243 235 235 241 243 280 328 360 383 
			 South Wales 304 297 285 282 281 283 292 315 364 403 422 
			 South West 280 274 271 266 264 269 273 308 362 395 420 
			 Southern 257 255 254 253 254 255 264 285 335 368 380 
			 Southern Scotland 273 272 268 267 266 266 286 316 369 408 425 
			 West Midlands 253 252 245 239 237 238 247 279 333 391 414 
			 Yorkshire 256 252 250 241 239 239 248 279 335 396 417 
			 UK 269 264 257 250 249 250 257 285 338 383 405 
			 (1) For consumption of 3,300 kWh per annum 
		
	
	
		
			  Average annual gas bills( 1)  for standard credit customers from 1998 until 2008 
			   1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 East Midlands 316 303 - 292 290 309 312 331 383 473 552 572 
			 Eastern 318 305 296 291 309 321 332 383 474 551 575 
			 London 318 305 295 293 309 320 334 388 480 556 572 
			 North East 309 304 294 290 309 318 332 385 474 557 563 
			 North West 314 304 295 294 312 317 330 383 474 555 578 
			 Northern 315 301 290 292 312 319 333 380 468 553 564 
			 Scotland 313 307 297 294 311 320 332 384 469 547 563 
			 South East 314 305 296 295 311 324 333 387 478 554 572 
			 South West 312 306 299 297 312 322 334 389 478 554 571 
			 Southern 316 307 299 296 311 322 336 390 472 547 565 
			 Wales 313 297 291 291 306 318 335 391 460 534 553 
			 West Midlands 317 307 297 296 313 324 333 389 480 556 571 
			 Great Britain 315 305 295 293 310 320 333 386 474 552 570 
			 (1) For consumption of 18,000 kWh per annum

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the budget of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme is.

Mike O'Brien: The total budget for the Low Carbon Buildings Programme is 86 million. Phase One of the programme was launched in April 2006; it has a budget of 36 million and is currently only open to household applications. Phase Two was announced in the Budget 2006 and provides an additional 50 million of funding for applications from the public sector, communities and not-for-profit organisations.

Office For Nuclear Development

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many secondees from the nuclear industrial sector  (a) within the UK and  (b) abroad have been recruited to the Office of Nuclear Development; for what period each is seconded; who pays their salary; and what criteria were used in their appointment.

Mike O'Brien: The Office for Nuclear Development (OND) currently employs five secondees from the nuclear industrial sector, or from commercial organisations which have been involved directly in, or in giving advice to clients involved in, the nuclear industry. The organisations who have seconded staff into the OND are Allen and Overy, CH2M Hill, Clifford Chance KPMG, and WS Atkins.
	Each secondee was recruited from an organisation operating within the UK, although one individual is a non-UK national. The length of secondments in the OND currently ranges from six months to three years.
	Individuals' salaries continue to be paid by their seconding organisations, but the Department reimburses seconding organisations at a rate appropriate to the equivalent civil service grade.
	Secondees were appointed on the basis of their experience and ability to contribute to the work and objectives of the OND, and on our being satisfied that there is no conflict of interest in their working for the OND.

JUSTICE

Antisocial Behaviour: Prosecutions

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prosecutions under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 there were in respect of  (a) noise,  (b) graffiti and fly-posting and  (c) waste and litter in (i) each local authority and (ii) each police basic command unit in 2007-08.

Maria Eagle: The information requested covering the number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for noise, waste offences and littering in England and Wales for 2007 by police force area, are provided in the following table. Offences of graffiti and fly-posting are not separately identifiable from other criminal damage offences (for example vandalism and damaging property) from the information reported to the Ministry of Justice.
	It is not possible to separately identify prosecutions taking place in (i) local authority area and (ii) basic command units within police force areas in England and Wales from the information reported to the Ministry of Justice.
	These data are on the principal offence basis. The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	Court proceedings data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
	
		
			  N umber of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for waste disposal offences, littering and noise offences, by region, and police force area in England and Wales, 2007( 1, 2, 3, 4) 
			   Proceeded against 
			  Statute  Environmental Protection Act 1990 Sec.33(8)  Environmental Protection Act 1990 Sec.33(9)  Environme ntal Protection Act 1990 Sec.33 (6)  Environmental Protection Act 1990 Sec.87  Noise Act 1996 
			  Force  
			 Avon and Somerset 2 0 9 14 0 
			 Bedfordshire 4 2 1 1 0 
			 Cambridgeshire 13 0 2 49 0 
			 City of London 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Cheshire 3 7 0 5 0 
			 Cleveland 12 3 3 102 0 
			 Cumbria 3 2 1 24 0 
			 Derbyshire 3 0 9 33 0 
			 Devon and Cornwall 19 6 5 91 0 
			 Dorset 2 0 1 9 0 
			 Durham 1 0 0 15 0 
			 Essex 4 0 10 54 0 
			 Gloucestershire 0 0 5 20 0 
			 Greater Manchester 49 16 54 887 0 
			 Hampshire 1 0 5 12 0 
			 Hertfordshire 5 1 9 2 0 
			 Humberside 17 0 8 50 0 
			 Kent 3 18 4 30 0 
			 Lancashire 18 22 9 57 0 
			 Leicestershire 9 2 6 37 0 
			 Lincolnshire 13 2 1 11 08 
			 Merseyside 8 0 17 66 0 
			 Metropolitan Police 47 4 86 61 0 
			 Norfolk 0 0 0 5 0 
			 North Yorkshire 6 1 6 0 2 
			 Northamptonshire 2 0 0 15 0 
			 Northumbria 22 1 0 711 0 
			 Nottinghamshire 2 0 18 63 0 
			 South Yorkshire 9 0 22 101 0 
			 Staffordshire 0 0 4 8 0 
			 Suffolk 5 0 0 8 0 
			 Surrey 4 0 6 2 0 
			 Sussex 6 2 3 1 0 
			 Thames Valley 35 0 9 5 0 
			 Warwickshire 1 0 0 5 0 
			 West Mercia 5 0 12 13 0 
			 West Midlands 53 8 19 178 0 
			 West Yorkshire 4 0 37 262 1 
			 Wiltshire 0 0 7 1 0 
			 Dyfed-Powys 2 0 12 8 0 
			 Gwent 3 0 26 9 0 
			 North Wales 0 1 5 10 0 
			 South Wales 8 1 35 27 0 
			   
			 England and Wales 403 99 466 3,063 3 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts, and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Includes some offences of fly-posting and graffiti, but cannot separately identify such offences. (4) Corresponding offence descriptions for statutes are as follows: Depositing, causing the deposition or permitting the deposition, treating, keeping or disposing of controlled (but not special) waste in or on land without a licence. Depositing, causing the deposition or permitting the deposition of controlled special waste in or on land without a licence. Contravening conditions of a waste management licence. Depositing litter. Noise exceeds permitted level after service of notice and other summary offences.  Source:  Office for Criminal Justice ReformEvidence and AnalysisMinistry of Justice

Bail Accommodation and Support Service

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether any category of  (a) defendant and  (b) convicted offender is to be excluded from receiving assistance under the Bail Accommodation and Support Service.

David Hanson: Those charged with or convicted of sex offences, those charged with or convicted of arson of buildings, those who are considered to pose a significant risk to the public or to staff and those under 18 years of age are excluded from this service.
	Additionally defendants will only be released into the service if they are granted bail. The court may refuse bail if it is considered that the defendant would if granted bail abscond, offend or interfere with witnesses.
	Offenders are excluded unless they are eligible for and are granted home detention curfew or are given a placement in the service as part of a community order as an intensive alternative to custody. The home detention curfew scheme applies primarily to prisoners serving sentences of at least three months but less than four years. Prisoners subject to the notification requirements of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, prisoners serving public protection sentences and foreign national prisoners who are liable to removal are statutorily excluded from release under the home detention curfew scheme. In addition, prisoners serving sentences for certain serious violent offences and prisoners with any history of sexual offending are presumed unsuitable unless there are exceptional circumstances. Prisoners must pass a risk assessment to be released on HDC and are not referred to ClearSprings unless the Governor considers the prisoner is suitable for release.
	Full details of the eligibility criteria for HDC and the assessment process are contained in Prison Service Order 6700 home detention curfew and details of the bail accommodation and support service are contained in Prison Service Instructions 29/2007 and 49/2007 which are available on the HM Prison Service website.

Data Protection: Fines

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when the provisions of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 amending the Data Protection Act 1998 to grant the Information Commissioner powers to fine organisations which have deliberately or recklessly breached data protection rules were first scheduled to enter into force; when he expects them to enter into force; and for what reason the commencement has been delayed.

Michael Wills: We are committed to bringing these provisions into force as soon as possible. We will continue to work with the Information Commissioner's Office to provide the Commissioner with the powers he needs to impose appropriate penalties on organisations who fail to comply with the data protection principles.

Departmental Catering

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which  (a) food and  (b) drinks suppliers have been used by his Department in each of the last three years; and how much his Department paid to each such supplier in each of those years.

Maria Eagle: The data in the following tables show spend on food and drink by supplier at the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) since its creation on 1 May 2007. The majority of spend is on food for use in HM Prison Service and includes food for resale to staff and catering for prisoners and staff. The remainder represents food for catering across other parts of the Ministry of Justice. 93.4 per cent. of Ministry of Justice spend on food in 2007-08 were through nationally contracted suppliers.
	National contracted suppliers are shown separately in each section. These are the suppliers that are expected to be used on a continuous basis. Those marked with an asterix are used in the current financial year. All other contracts have expired and have been subsumed into other contracts by application of MOJ food procurement policy.
	Ad-hoc supplier spend includes a combination of off-contract spend, food bought for resale (e.g. staff canteens) and the use of the Government Procurement Card (for ad-hoc purchases, e.g. unavailable within national contracts or emergency requirement). These figures may also include some non-food items as there are suppliers within this list that sell non-food items which are however primarily a food provider.
	It was only possible to identify the use of these suppliers following implementation of an e-procurement system in 2007. By the nature of these purchases, it is not expected that these suppliers will be used in the future.
	 Food:
	
		
			  Nationally contracted suppliers( 1) , 2007-08 
			  Supplier name   
			 Augro Fresh (UK) Ltd. 189,647.60 
			 Bristol Fruit Sales 73,791.39 
			 British Bakeries* 3,439,344.57 
			 Case N. H. Ltd.* 7,058,339.94 
			 Dairy Farmers of Britain 470,840.59 
			 Histon Produce Co. Ltd. 29,669.46 
			 John Palin (Wholesale) Ltd. 103,745.50 
			 K. Fresh Ltd 155,083.50 
			 Lakeland Dairies 22,472.64 
			 M. J. Morris and Son Ltd. 74,447.54 
			 Minor Weir and Willis Ltd. 428,211.19 
			 R. S. Cockerill (York) Ltd. 86,338.54 
			 Redbridge Produce and Flowers Ltd. 160,990.44 
			 S. T. Holmes 385,601.91 
			 Thomas Baty (Newcastle upon Tyne) Ltd. 22,350.08 
			 Yearsley Food Sales* 11,773,293.97 
			 (1) Contracts that did not expire in financial year 2007-08 are marked with an asterix. 
		
	
	
		
			  Ad-hoc suppliers, 2007-08 
			  Supplier name   
			 A. D. M. Milling Ltd. 2,219.26 
			 Aldington Abattoir 9,268.72 
			 Aldridges 14,858.56 
			 Allied Bakeries 2,263.10 
			 Alpha Foods (Notts) Ltd. 166,739.08 
			 Anglo Dutch Meats (Charing) Ltd. 1,583.56 
			 Aubrey Allen Ltd. 12,249.00 
			 Bakerlow Ltd. 1,025.10 
			 Barry Gibbons Dairy Produce Ltd. 2,038.65 
			 Beesons Butchers 1,448.40 
			 Brambledown Farm Shop 19,640.72 
			 C+D Oil Ltd. 9,902.45 
			 Central Supplies (Brierley Hill) Ltd. 316,310.86 
			 Choices from Fine Dining 2,675.46 
			 Church Farm Foods 3,383.50 
			 Churchill Food Products Ltd. 4,291.31 
			 Classic Fresh Foods 4,433.96 
			 Coastline Produce Ltd. 7,194.98 
			 Corbans Restaurant and Bar 1,559.67 
			 Coultons Bread Ltd. T/A Happy Bread 22,526.62 
			 Cream of the Crop 4,453.45 
			 D and M Wholesalers 20,783.46 
			 Dairy Crest Ltd. 26,114.83 
			 Dalestorth Bakery Ltd. 1,193.46 
			 Deli Central 4,362.97 
			 Drinkwaters 4,570.90 
			 E. B. and J. H. Franks 1,185.00 
			 E. C. Longworth 1,783.54 
			 Emerson and Wests of Market Harborough Ltd. 1,917.05 
			 European Freeze Dry 9,792.00 
			 Five Winds Farm 7,373.48 
			 Fresh 'N' Fruity 3,278.30 
			 Fryers Catering Services 6,845.00 
			 G. and J. Collins 133,938.92 
			 Ginsters 1,597.92 
			 Godden Butchers 17,874.11 
			 Golden Vale Dairies Ltd. 5,516.00 
			 Hopwells Ltd. 18,446.49 
			 Hunts Bakery 1,676.23 
			 Island Farm Eggs 5,357.80 
			 James Burrows Ltd. 3,994.92 
			 Jan Marie Bakery 865.00 
			 Jennings Butchers 1,204.86 
			 JSL Meats 32,138.77 
			 K and B Meats Ltd. 20,484.62 
			 Kirby and West Ltd. 2,937.78 
			 Le Pain Nouveau Ltd. 2,559.60 
			 Little Angus Ltd. 9,273.00 
			 M. Leggate and Sons 1,396.75 
			 Major International Ltd. 14,927.11 
			 Maldon Fruit 13,522.45 
			 Manor House Produce Ltd. 1,870.25 
			 Market Garden Prod 5,457.09 
			 Michael Mcdonald 1,401.10 
			 Morris of Coppull 20,582.02 
			 N. G. Woodcock T/A Quality Meats 2,742.89 
			 Nestle Chilled, Sales 1,375.11 
			 Newport Butchers and Bak 1,078.24 
			 North Country Quality Foods Ltd. 5,986.23 
			 North Surrey Bakers 6,876.84 
			 Old Stables Farm 5,585.90 
			 Passion for Food 1,319.75 
			 Pershore Produce (Fruit and Vegetables) Ltd. 4,169.30 
			 Potts Bakers 1,710.56 
			 R. A. Fyfe and Sons Butche 6,782.85 
			 R. Foster and Son Ltd. 1,287.16 
			 Raps (UK) Ltd. 7,299.70 
			 Reeve the Baker 2,869.76 
			 Robinsons the Master Bakers 1,041.79 
			 Rochesters Provisions 3,400.63 
			 Rye Spice Co. Ltd. 1,496.88 
			 Salvatori 9,586.30 
			 Sandy's Bakehouse Ltd. 31,764.05 
			 Silverdale Chilled Foods Ltd. 19,027.61 
			 Sleaford Quality Foods Ltd. 3,494.54 
			 Start Fresh Ltd. 4,177.88 
			 Steers the Greengrocers Ltd. 3,053.39 
			 Summer Garden 1,033.27 
			 Sunnyside Distribution Ltd. 960.84 
			 T. D. Radcliffe 64,305.70 
			 Tavern Fayre 46,121.34 
			 The Bakery 852.50 
			 The Chilled Food Co. T/A Steveric Food 2,565.06 
			 The Crusty Loaf 8,708.24 
			 The Dorset Cake Co. Ltd. 1,755.32 
			 The Fresh Food Co. 3,230.23 
			 The Fruit Basket 1,945.17 
			 The Good Food Chain Ltd. 1,778.25 
			 The Uppercrust Pie Co. Ltd. 3,570.56 
			 The Yorkshire Meat Co. Ltd. 10,038.36 
			 Thompson R. H. and Co. Ltd. 5,400.00 
			 Three Counties Frozen Foods 5,745.44 
			 Tindale and Stanton Ltd.in Administration 105,964.92 
			 Tom Mitchell (Cornwall) Ltd. 55,359.17 
			 Total Produce (Cardiff) 13,857.69 
			 Tps Chilled Foods 1,055.76 
			 Trotters Family Bakers 20,565.35 
			 W and J Parker (Wholesale) Ltd. 5,465.22 
			 Walkers 1,665.91 
			 Waterfields (Leigh) Ltd. 15,358.94 
			 Westler Foods Ltd. 10,084.94 
			 Windsor Food Services Ltd. 4,695.03 
			 Winspeare Butchers Ltd. 1,149.68 
		
	
	 Food and Drinks :
	
		
			  Nationally contracted suppliers( 1) , 2007-08 
			  Supplier name   
			 Bfs Group Ltd. (trading as 3663)* 23,910,359.78 
			 Chequer Foods Ltd. 223,112.29 
			 DBC Foodservice 420,026.00 
			 (1) Contracts that did not expire in financial year 2007-08 are marked with an asterix. 
		
	
	
		
			  Ad-hoc suppliers, 2007-08 
			  Supplier name   
			 A. C. Ward and Son Ltd. 492,464.19 
			 A. F. Blakemore and Son Ltd. 1,135.75 
			 Abbey Cards 2,022.47 
			 Allsports International Ltd. 10,792.45 
			 ASDA Stores Ltd. 75,624.40 
			 B. A. Cash and Carry 1,747.58 
			 Cadbury Trebor Basset 900.00 
			 Carlisle Mini Market 1,163.84 
			 Charles of Cheddar Ltd. 151,595.46 
			 Cnp Professional Limit 5,414.40 
			 Deebee 5,913.07 
			 Eyke Stores 10,114.17 
			 Farmfoods 1,585.13 
			 First Choice Wholesale Foods Ltd. 13,275.85 
			 Freemans Confectionery Supplies Ltd. 335,194.35 
			 Goodness Foods Ltd. 4,531.98 
			 Greetham Village Shop 4,459.91 
			 H and M Bottomley Ltd. 946.83 
			 Haji Cash and Carry 1,416.02 
			 Holland and Barr Direct 7,211.25 
			 Howarth J. and C. (Wholesale) Ltd. 23,023.99 
			 Hyperama Cash and Carry 3,202.60 
			 I. A. Harris and Sons Ltd. 7,779.52 
			 Iceland 8,310.93 
			 Jill M. Jones 1,583.74 
			 K. K. News 15,838.10 
			 Kater 4 Cash and Carry Ltd. 873.58 
			 Makro Self Service 96,618.30 
			 North Cave News Agency 4,514.87 
			 Overton Stores 3,444.87 
			 Patel R. J. 11,283.13 
			 Peacocks of Richmond 1,178.68 
			 Proctor's Quality Produce Ltd. 4,503.10 
			 Raynor Foods Ltd. 17,947.20 
			 S. and A. Convenience Ltd. 6,762.87 
			 Sainsbury's 86,656.38 
			 Somerfield 3,735.67 
			 Spar (Priory Rd) Ltd. 1,629.77 
			 Suma Wholefoods 7,038.20 
			 Tesco 154,475.76 
			 The Corner Shop 7,329.31 
			 The Village Stores 2,359.04 
			 Thomas Ridley and Son Ltd. 71,334.12 
			 Tropicana Health and Fitness 19,603.05 
			 Turner and Wrights Ltd. 4,323.63 
			 Vicky's Convenience Store 14,876.89 
			 Vitality Group Ltd. 8,889.23 
			 W. M. Morrison plc. 27,254.03 
			 Waitrose 10,544.18 
			 Westone Wholesale Ltd. 9,689.91 
			 Wing Yip Ltd. 3,865.03 
		
	
	 Drinks:
	 Nationally contracted suppliers
	No separate national drink contracts existed in 2007-08 as they were encompassed within other national contracts.
	
		
			  Ad-hoc suppliers, 2007-08 
			  Supplier name   
			 A. G. Barr plc 12,867.59 
			 Bebida Beverage Solutions Ltd. 1,576.25 
			 Discount Coffee Ltd. 865.11 
			 Fresh Ground Coffee Service 2,350.74 
			 Freshroast Coffee Co. Ltd. 9,208.36 
			 Kraft Foods UK Ltd. 15,811.28 
			 Majestic Wine Warehouses Ltd. 8,286.02 
			 Mars Drinks 37,335.96 
			 Miko Coffee South West Ltd. 1,551.40 
			 Mountain Spring Water Co. Ltd. (The) 1,332.75 
			 Oddbins 1,967.85 
			 Springfield Soft Drinks 22,325.31 
			 Tchibo Coffee International Ltd. 10,209.85 
			 The County Arms 1,680.00 
			 The Crown Wetheral 2,445.46 
			 The Drury Tea and Coffee Co. Ltd. 4,570.00 
			 The Silver Spring Mineral Water Co. 17,503.74 
			 Thirsty Work 1,876.60 
			 Trm Trading Ltd. 5,181.80 
			 Wenlock Spring Water 7,915.85 
			 Wetherells Contract Ltd. 1,458.00

Departmental Marketing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much has been spent by his Department on advertising in the last 12 months.

Jack Straw: Since Ministry of Justice was created in May 2007 and to end March 2008 the total figure for spend on advertising was 6.3 million. Figures are available only on a full financial year basis and it is not possible to provide accurate data for December 2007 to December 2008.
	A breakdown of these figures is given in the answer to the right hon. Member for Devizes (Mr. Ancram) on 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1671W. Approximately 6 million of the total 6.3 million was spent on recruitment advertising, principally by Her Majesty's Prison Service.

Departmental Sick Leave

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many staff in his Department or its predecessors were on sick leave for  (a) over 30 days,  (b) over 50 days and  (c) over 100 days in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what the average number of days sick leave per staff member in his Department and its predecessors was in each of the last five years;
	(3)  were recorded as having been on sick leave for over 12 months on 31 December in each year since his Department was established;

Jack Straw: For the year 2007-08 the average number of days of sick absence per person in the Ministry of Justice was 10.4 days.
	Due to a machinery of government change the Ministry of Justice was created in May 2007. The figures for its predecessor the Department for Constitutional Affairs are contained in the following table.
	
		
			  Department for Constitutional Affairs sickness absence rate 
			   Working days lost  Average staff in post  Working days lost per person 
			 2003-04 128170 12154 10.5 
			 2004-05 124390 12643 9.8 
			 2005-06 174096 16702 10.4 
			 2006-07 276166 25395 10.9 
		
	
	Absence data for 2003 to 2007 for the Prison Service and National Offender Management Service headquarters are contained in the following table.
	
		
			  Prison Service sickness absence rates 
			   Working days lost  Average staff in post  Working days lost per person 
			 2003-4 628623 47224 13.3 
			 2004-5 616367 48607 12.7 
			 2005-6 589211 48419 12.2 
			 2006-7 573071 49216 11.6 
		
	
	While the MoJ does monitor long term sickness absence it does not record it centrally in these categories and to obtain this information would incur disproportionate cost.

Dovegate Prison: Fines

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what financial penalties the operators of Dovegate prison have incurred in respect of failures to meet contractual obligations in each year since it opened; and in each case  (a) what penalty was imposed,  (b) when it was imposed and  (c) what action was taken to remedy the breach.

David Hanson: There is a mechanism contained within the Dovegate contract that allows the authority to recover the cost of services which have not been provided but have been agreed by the parties under the terms of contract.
	The financial deduction is dealt with under a performance measure that means events or circumstances in respect of which there may be a reduction in the amount payable to the contractor. If the contractor fails to achieve the required and previously agreed output then performance points are levied. Fines are not imposed on the contractor. Performance points have a financial value which is a pre-estimated loss (between authority and contractor) of services not provided. Any claim for services not provided is deducted from the monthly operating fee invoice.

Driving Offences: Fines

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of drivers with foreign-registered cars did not pay fines for motoring offences in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007 and  (c) the last 12 months.

Maria Eagle: Financial penalties for motoring offences can take the form of a fixed penalty notice issued by the police or a fine imposed by the courts.
	Information held centrally by the Home Office on fixed penalty notices issued by the police does not identify where a vehicle is registered. In addition it is not possible from the information held by the Ministry of Justice to identify separately the payment rate of court fines arising from specific offences.

Driving Offences: Insurance

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prosecutions of uninsured drivers there were in each police force area in 2007-08; and what the average penalty imposed was.

Maria Eagle: The number of proceedings at the magistrates courts for the offence of using a motor vehicle uninsured against third party risks, and the average fine imposed, by police force area, for the years 2006 and 2007 are shown in the following table.
	Data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
	
		
			  N umber of proceedings at magistrates courts for the offence of using a motor vehicle uninsured against third party risks( 1) , and average fine imposed( 2)  by police force area, England and Wales, 2006-07( 3, 4) 
			   2006  2007 
			  Police force area  Proceedings  Avera ge fine  ()  Proceedings  Average fine  () 
			 Avon and Somerset 11,834 155 8,613 155 
			 Bedfordshire 4,356 183 3,641 210 
			 Cambridgeshire 4,107 182 3,013 186 
			 Cheshire 4,463 195 5,069 224 
			 Cleveland 4,013 210 2,676 216 
			 Cumbria 2,654 186 2,589 193 
			 Derbyshire 4,352 372 4,962 379 
			 Devon and Cornwall 7,500 150 6,125 161 
			 Dorset 5,177 176 5,000 186 
			 Durham 3,285 132 3,276 138 
			 Essex 6,507 202 6,799 217 
			 Gloucestershire 2,838 140 2,471 156 
			 Greater Manchester 26,516 181 19,870 186 
			 Hampshire 6,529 141 6,119 150 
			 Hertfordshire 7,641 216 5,655 216 
			 Humberside 5,085 194 3,271 200 
			 Kent 8,154 221 7,142 223 
			 Lancashire 15,246 183 13,228 191 
			 Leicestershire 5,912 152 4,144 163 
			 Lincolnshire 5,242 196 3,910 202 
			 London, City of 1,575 214 1,416 245 
			 Merseyside 7,807 147 8,782 156 
			 Metropolitan Police 46,132 179 46,095 195 
			 Norfolk 4,054 165 3,671 167 
			 Northamptonshire 3,859 172 2,155 175 
			 Northumbria 10,347 148 8,665 153 
			 North Yorkshire 3,270 185 3,163 193 
			 Nottinghamshire 5,994 147 5,675 159 
			 South Yorkshire 10,307 143 7,414 157 
			 Staffordshire 6,328 256 4,993 257 
			 Suffolk 3,799 162 2,787 168 
			 Surrey 4,173 217 5,879 236 
			 Sussex 5,074 169 5,209 185 
			 Thames Valley 10,329 217 9,325 226 
			 Warwickshire 3,512 230 2,899 229 
			 West Mercia 7,042 218 5,608 223 
			 West Midlands 29,998 211 21,502 209 
			 West Yorkshire 21,641 146 15,666 147 
			 Wiltshire 4,466 228 3,122 217 
			 Dyfed-Powys 2,413 191 2,273 206 
			 Gwent 3,088 172 2,244 174 
			 North Wales 5,057 173 3,741 175 
			 South Wales 11,805 158 9,702 167 
			 England and Wales 353,481 185 299,559 194 
			 (1) An offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988 s. 143 (2). (2) Magistrates courts data only. Fines given at the Crown court total nationally (England and Wales) less than 10 each year. (3) It is known that for some police force areas the reporting of court proceedings, in particular those relating to summary motoring offences, may be less than complete. (4) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Office for Criminal Justice ReformEvidence and Analysis unit.

Driving under Influence

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) males and  (b) females in each age group were convicted for driving under the influence of alcohol in each police authority area in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: Tables giving available information held by the Ministry of Justice on convictions at all courts for offences of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs for the years 2003 to 2007 (latest available), broken down by sex, age group and police force area have been placed in the House Library. Data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009. The data provided covers both drink and drugs offences combined, as volumes of convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs cannot be provided separately.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many and what percentage of people eligible to vote in each  (a) constituency and  (b) ward of each constituency were registered to vote in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2008;
	(2)  what percentage of those eligible to vote were registered to vote in each local authority in  (a) England,  (b) Wales,  (c) Scotland and  (d) Northern Ireland in each of the last 12 years;
	(3)  how many electors there were in each ward of  (a) the Vale of Clwyd and  (b) Denbighshire in each of the last 12 years.

Michael Wills: Figures in relation to the percentage of people eligible to vote in each  (a) constituency and  (b) ward of each constituency were registered to vote in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2008 and the percentage of those eligible to vote were registered to vote in each local authority in  (a) England,  (b) Wales,  (c) Scotland and  (d) Northern Ireland in each of the last 12 years are not available. This is because the Office for National Statistics (ONS) does not hold data for the population eligible to vote in parliamentary elections, which includes British citizens resident overseas and excludes foreign citizens (from outside the British Commonwealth and Republic of Ireland) resident within England and Wales.
	In addition, it is not known how many electors there were in each ward of  (a) the Vale of Clwyd and  (b) Denbighshire in each of the last 12 years. However, I am aware that in response to a recent parliamentary question 17 June 2008,  Official Report, column 889 ONS provided the actual number of electors registered in each ward during this period.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the likely levels of compliance with requirements for individual voter registration by members of different social groups;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the likely effect of individual voter registration on  (a) levels of voter registration and  (b) the accuracy of the register; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Wills: As my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Bridget Prentice) explained in answer to similar questions from the hon. Gentleman on 3 July 2008,  Official R eport, column 1096W, and 24 June 2008,  Official Report, column 242W, the Government have not made any assessment of the impact that individual voter registration is likely to have on the levels of registration and the accuracy of the register. We are aware that any new system of electoral registration in Great Britain would need to be tailored to current circumstances, and in particular would need to address the challenge of under-registration.
	The Government are committed to the principle of individual registration. But this would be a far-reaching reform, and it would need to be undertaken with great careboth to make sure a new system is robust, and to ensure that it properly tackles the problem of under-registration.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of people eligible but not registered to vote in each of the last 11 years, broken down by region;
	(2)  what the average rate of voter registration is in the 100  (a) least and  (b) most deprived wards; what assessment he has made of the effects of individual voter registration on the rate of registration in such wards; and if he will make a statement.
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the effects of individual voter registration on the level of voter registration.

Michael Wills: As my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Bridget Prentice) explained in answer to these questions from the hon. Gentleman on 16 June 2008,  Official Report, column 887W, the Government have not made any estimate of the number of people eligible but not registered to vote in each of the last 11 years, as such information is not available. However, the Electoral Commission estimated that 3.5 million eligible electors were not registered to vote in their report, 'Understanding Electoral Registration', which was published in 2005.
	It is not known what the average rate of voter registration is in the 100  (a) least and  (b) most deprived wards, as this information is not collected by Government. However, any new system of electoral registration in GB would need to be tailored to current circumstances, and in particular would need to address the challenge of under-registration.

Electoral Register: Local Government

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of trends in the annual expenditure of local authority electoral registration officers over the last 10 years;
	(2)  if he will assess the merits of ring-fencing funds allocated to local government for registration of voters.

Michael Wills: As my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Bridget Prentice) explained in answer to a similar question from the hon. Gentleman on 24 June 2008,  Official Report, column 241W there are no current plans to ring-fence funding for electoral registration activities. Funding is included in the local authority formula grant issued by central Government. Once these funds are allocated, decisions on how it is utilised are a matter for the local authorities concerned. There is also a parallel protocol which states that unless there is an exceptional reason to do so, money provided to local authorities for discharging their statutory responsibilities should not be 'ring-fenced'.
	There has been no assessment of the trends in the annual expenditure of local authority electoral registration officers over the past 10 years. However, as part of its work in developing Performance Standards for electoral services, the Electoral Commission launched its financial information survey across Great Britain on 10 September 2007. Electoral Registration Officers and Returning Officers were asked to complete the survey and return it by 31 July 2008. The Commission is currently analysing this information in conjunction with CIPFA (the Chartered Institute of Public Finance Accountants) and will publish results in due course.

Electoral Register: Local Government

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding of local authority registration officers in relation to their objectives to increase voter registration; what assessment he has made of the relationship between additional funding and increased voter registration; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much of the funding allocated to local authorities for registration for elections taking place in 2008-09 has been spent on voter registration.

Michael Wills: As my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Bridget Prentice) explained in answer to this question from the hon. Gentleman on 24 June 2008,  Official Report, column 242W, as part of the development of the Electoral Administration Act 2006, which included a new duty to undertake work to ensure all eligible people were registered to vote, a need for additional resources was identified. Monies were made available to support this work as part of the funding provided for the implementation of the Act.
	Section 67 of the Electoral Administration Act 2006 allows the Electoral Commission to set and monitor performance standards for electoral services. As part of its work in developing performance standards for electoral services, the Commission launched its financial information survey across Great Britain on 10 September 2007. Electoral registration officers and returning officers were asked to complete the survey and return it by 31 July 2008. The Commission is currently analysing this information in conjunction with CIPFA (the Chartered Institute of Public Finance Accountants) and will publish results in due course. It will be for the Commission to decide whether it wishes to collect and publish financial information in relation 2008-09.

Electoral Register: Local Government

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made of the reasons for any variation in levels of electoral registration between different local authorities;
	(2)  if he will commission research on the effects on electoral registration rates of levels of functional illiteracy in the population;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the number of those eligible to vote but not registered to do so in each parliamentary constituency.

Michael Wills: As my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Bridget Prentice) explained in answer to similar questions from the hon. Member on 18 June 2008,  Official Report, columns 1000-01W, the Government have not made an assessment of the reasons for variations in the levels of electoral registration between different local authorities. There are no plans at present to commission research on the effects of functional illiteracy in the population on electoral registration rates. The Government have not made any estimate of the number of people eligible but not registered to vote in each parliamentary constituency. Whatever the reasons for shortfalls, the Government are determined to take all practicable measures to increase levels of registration. Since 2006. the numbers of those registered to vote have increased by 679,439 for parliamentary elections and 976,394 for local government elections.
	The Electoral Administration Act includes a provision for the Electoral Commission to introduce new performance standards for Electoral Registration Officers. The Electoral Commission published its Performance Standards for Electoral Registration Officers in Great Britain in July 2008. A copy of these standards has been laid before the House and the information obtained from local authorities as a consequence will enable us to get a better understanding of the actions taken to increase registration. The Commission intends to produce a report on performance against the standards during spring 2009.

Electoral Register: Local Government

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what  (a) duties and  (b) powers local electoral registration officers have to promote electoral registration.

Michael Wills: The Government have taken a number of steps to help Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) promote and increase electoral registration rates. Section 9 of the Electoral Administration Act 2006 (EA Act) placed a new duty on EROs to take all necessary steps to maintain the electoral register, including sending the annual canvass form more than once, making house-to house-inquiries and inspecting records that an ERO is permitted to inspect. These records are those held by the local authority and include council tax, land and property, housing benefit and educational where available. It is for each ERO to decide on the best steps to use in conjunction with their local knowledge to ensure that requirements for making contact with persons and maintaining the register are complied with.
	Section 69 of the EA Act imposes a duty on EROs to promote local participation within their areas. Assisting EROs in meeting this obligation falls within the Electoral Commission's remit, as does issuing guidance to electoral registration officers more generally.
	The Act also included a provision for the Electoral Commission to introduce a new performance standards framework for electoral services. The Commission published a final set of performance standards for Electoral Registration Officers in Great Britain in July 2008, details of which have been laid before the House. The Commission will publish the results of EROs' self-assessments against these standards in spring 2009.

Fraud: Financial Institutions

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many cases of financial abuse by partners  (a) have been reported to the police,  (b) have been prosecuted and  (c) resulted in a conviction in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government do recognise the financial and economic impact that happens within domestic violence relationships. We are working with stakeholders and the British Banker's Association to ensure that both domestic violence victims and their advisers are more fully informed of their options. We will be considering this issue when developing our delivery plan in the future and recently produced a leaflet including some advice on this issue. From the information received on domestic violence cases we are not able to identify the financial abuse aspect.

Judges: Public Appointments

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he last met Baroness Prashar to discuss judicial appointments.

Jack Straw: I routinely meet Baroness Prashar to discuss all matters relating to her role as chairman of the Judicial Appointments Commission. Our most recent meeting was on 10 February 2009.

Offenders

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice in which prison establishments an offender supervisor is allocated to each inmate; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The national offender management model does not require every offender to have an offender supervisor. The implementation of the model has been phased to give priority to those offenders serving community orders or on post-release licences; adult offenders serving a determinate sentence of 12 months or more assessed as posing a high or very high risk of serious harm, or who have been identified as prolific or other priority offenders; and those sentenced to imprisonment for public protection.

Offenders: Databases

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what mechanisms are in place to ensure that information held by a prison about an offender is made available to a community offender manager on the offender's release from custody; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The National Standards for the Management of Offenders (2007) require offender managers to maintain contact with the offender and the offender supervisor sufficiently frequently during custody to ensure both the implementation of the sentence plan and the smooth, safe and effective transition from custody to the community. On release from custody the electronic offender assessment record (OASys) is transferred from the Prison Service to the National Probation Service.

Offenders: Ex-servicemen

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the cost of  (a) the veterans in custody support programme at HM Prison Everthorpe and  (b) extending the programme across the custodial estate; and whether he has had discussions with (i) the Ministry of Defence, (ii) the Department of Health, (iii) HM Prison Service and (iv) the National Offender Management Service on the (A) funding and (B) timetable for an extension of the programme; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: To date, no formal estimate has been made of the cost of the HM Prison Everthorpe veterans in custody support programme. However, we are aware that a prison officer in the establishment devotes about one day a week to attend to referrals and a further three hours a month to facilitate a veterans' forum. It will not be possible to estimate the cost of a national roll-out of this programme, until we have some reliable research to better determine the numbers of veterans offending. We anticipate that this information will be available to us by September 2009.
	Prison In-Reach, a cross departmental non-executive working group, led by the Ministry of Defence, brings together representation from The National Offender Management Service and public sector prisons in addition to third sector partners. This provides an excellent opportunity for collaborative working and the pooling of resources. The Department of Health is a key partner of both the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Justice in the provision of health care services to veterans and the general offender population. Once the research is available, it may be possible to discuss the delivery of specific interventions to meet the needs of veterans.
	The group is currently preparing a guidance pack for prison officers, working with veterans. This will provide a useful resource for prisons wishing to develop a service similar to that delivered at Everthorpe. We anticipate that this will be ready for distribution and introduction during the second quarter of this year.

Offenders: Ex-servicemen

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what mechanisms are in place to ensure that account is taken of the needs of offenders who are former members of the armed forces in the preparation of  (a) an assessment outcome and  (b) a resettlement plan by the (i) offender supervisor and (ii) offender manager; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The Offender Assessment System (OASys) is the mechanism by which the risks posed by an offender and the needs associated with offending behaviour are assessed. There is no separate system for assessing the needs of serving or former members of the armed forces but OASys has a broad scope and includes the assessment of the offender's accommodation, financial management and emotional well-being, for example. It provides the opportunity to record relevant matters relating to an offender's military history.

Offenders: Ex-servicemen

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to assist offender managers in identifying offenders who have served in the armed forces; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The Offender Assessment System (OASys) prompts an offender manager to review an offender's employment history and work related skills. Offenders are also encouraged to use a self-assessment questionnaire to highlight information that is important to them and is relevant to their offending behaviour.

Offensive Weapons: Convictions

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were convicted for  (a) possessing and  (b) distributing prohibited (i) weapons and (ii) ammunition in each police force area in 2007-08.

Maria Eagle: Information on the number of persons found guilty at all courts of offences for possessing or distributing prohibited weapons or ammunition in England and Wales, by police force area for the year 2007 (latest available) can be found in the following table:
	These data are on the principal offence basis. The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	Court proceedings data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
	
		
			  N umber of persons found guilty at all courts for offences relating to possessing or distributing prohibited weapons or ammunition in England and Wales, by police force area for the year 2007( 1,2, 3) 
			  Force  2007 
			 Avon and Somerset 23 
			 Bedfordshire 6 
			 Cambridgeshire 9 
			 Cheshire 11 
			 City of London 1 
			 Cleveland 9 
			 Cumbria 13 
			 Derbyshire 21 
			 Devon and Cornwall 15 
			 Dorset 12 
			 Durham 15 
			 Essex 29 
			 Gloucestershire 4 
			 Greater Manchester 83 
			 Hampshire 24 
			 Hertfordshire 24 
			 Humberside 10 
			 Kent 20 
			 Lancashire 22 
			 Leicestershire 22 
			 Lincolnshire 4 
			 Merseyside 53 
			 Metropolitan Police 386 
			 Norfolk 10 
			 North Yorkshire 8 
			 Northamptonshire 4 
			 Northumbria 31 
			 Nottinghamshire 39 
			 South Yorkshire 25 
			 Staffordshire 26 
			 Suffolk 7 
			 Surrey 12 
			 Sussex 22 
			 Thames Valley 34 
			 Warwickshire 7 
			 West Mercia 10 
			 West Midlands 91 
			 West Yorkshire 30 
			 Wiltshire 1 
			 Dyfed-Powys 2 
			 Gwent 7 
			 North Wales 12 
			 South Wales 23 
			   
			 England and Wales 1,217 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Includes the following Statutes and corresponding offence descriptions: Firearms Act, 1968 Sec.5(1) (Group I) as amended by Criminal Justice Act 2003 S.288 Possessing or distributing prohibited weapons or ammunition. Firearms Act 1968 Sec.5(l)(b) (Group I) as amended by Criminal Justice Act 2003 Sec.288 Possessing or distributing prohibited weapons designed for discharge of noxious liquid etc. Firearms Act 1968 Sec.5(lA)(a) (Group I) as amended by Criminal Justice Act 2003 Sec.288 Possessing or distributing firearm disguised as other object Firearms Act 1968 Sec.5(1A) (b),(c),(d)(e),(f) or (g) as amended by Criminal Justice Act 2003 Sec.238 Possessing or distributing other prohibited weapons  Source:  Office for Criminal Justice Reform, Evidence and Analysis UnitMinistry of Justice

Prison Sentences

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 12 January 2009,  Official Report, column 519W, on prison sentences, how many and what proportion of prisoners serving a prison sentence beyond their original or adjusted tariff were prisoners serving indeterminate imprisonment for public protection who had  (a) not yet completed their mandatory courses and  (b) are awaiting a Parole Board hearing at the most recent date for which figures are available, broken down by region.

Maria Eagle: As of 15 December 2008 there were 1,508 prisoners serving an indeterminate sentence for public protection (IPP) who were or would be held in prison beyond their tariff on 9 February 2009.
	There are no mandatory courses that IPP prisoners must complete before being considered for a Parole Board hearing. Therefore, there are no IPP prisoners who are awaiting a Parole Board hearing having not completed a mandatory course.
	However, IPP prisoners may be identified as suitable for inclusion in specific offending behaviour programmes, depending upon the nature of their offending and their identified risk factors. As of December 2008, 2,865 IPP prisoners had been given access to at least one offending behaviour programme. This equates to 58 per cent. of the current IPP prisoner population.
	These figures are taken from a NOMS database and, as with any large scale recording system, it is subject to possible errors arising from either data entry or processing.

Prisons: Databases

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  when he expects to ensure  (a) that all prisoners at HM Prison Gartree receive an OASys assessment on or within eight weeks of arrival at the prison and thereafter annually or on completion of significant milestones and  (b) that the backlog of OASys assessments at HM Prison Gartree is cleared;
	(2)  when he expects to have recruited the necessary additional staff at HM Prison Gartree to provide OASys assessments for prisoners there.

David Hanson: The requirement for an offender assessment (OAsys) to be completed within eight weeks of arrival applies to offenders received into an establishment following sentencing. As Gartree is a training prison, all prisoners received there should already have an up to date OASys assessment in place. However, Gartree did develop a backlog of OASys assessments that had not been reviewed for over three years and a recovery plan has been put in place to address. It is expected that annual reviews of all outstanding OASys plans will be completed by June 2009.
	Staff recruitment is complete as far as officer posts are concerned, thought he recent National Offender Management Service recruitment freeze means that there are still vacancies for support staff which are currently filled by agency staff.

Prisons: Drugs

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress has been made in the provision of drug treatment in prisons following the establishment of the Prison Drug Treatment Strategy Review Group in 2008.

David Hanson: The Prison Drug Treatment Strategy Review Group reports jointly to the Ministry of Justice and the Department of Health. Work on the review started in September 2008 and is expected to take two years to complete. The remit of the Group will be to consider the PricewaterhouseCoopers recommendations, agree a single set of priorities and compile national guidance around the streamlining of the commissioning, delivery, funding and performance management of drug treatment for offenders.
	My noble Friend Lord Patel has spent a number of months visiting prisons and talking to key stakeholders such as commissioners, treatment providers and service users in order to select membership of the Review Group. In January I announced that he had selected these members and a list was placed in the Libraries of the House. The first meeting of the Review Group will be held on 26 February. The work programme will include the development of minimum standards, outcomes and commissioning systems for drug-using offenders in prisons and those leaving custody.
	I expect to receive quarterly updates on progress and will report periodically to the House. A decision has yet to be taken on publication of the final report.

Prisons: Drugs

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of using dogs in the detection of drugs in prisons.

David Hanson: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) has in place a process to ensure that each prison dog and handler team are assessed annually as to their effectiveness in detecting concealed drugs. Without passing the annual assessment, for which a certificate of accreditation is awarded, dog and handler teams are not permitted to operate.
	In addition, the Government have accepted all 10 recommendations contained within David Blakey's review: Disrupting the supply of drugs into prisons. One recommendation was that NOMS conducts an internal review to determine whether search dogs and their handlers are distributed effectively around the prison estate and that the management processes for handlers are robust. That review is currently under way.

Prisons: Industrial Health and safety

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prison cells were closed for health and safety reasons in each of the last five years.

Jack Straw: Prisoner accommodation is certified for use or to be taken out of use by senior operational managers (as required by section 14 of the Prison Act 1952).
	Unfortunately cell-certificates do not always provide details of why accommodation is being taking out of operation and to provide this information would require a manual check of all cell certificates for the last five years and would incur disproportionate costs.

Young Offenders: Sentencing

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many sentences were given to young offenders in  (a) 2007 and  (b) 2008, broken down by type of offence.

David Hanson: The available information, for offenders aged 10 to 17 is shown in the following tables.
	Statistics for 2008 will not be available until Sentencing Statistics 2008 is published in late 2009.
	
		
			  Sentences given to juvenile offenders( 1)  by offence type, 2007 
			   Violence against the person  Sexual offences  Burglary  Robbery  Theft and handling stolen goods  Fraud and forgery  Criminal damage 
			 Absolute discharge 64 4 56 3 461 25 82 
			 Conditional discharge 243 16 141 17 1,830 64 281 
			 Fine 88 21 57 21 721 36 63 
			 Community sentence 6,061 379 4,834 2,936 14,093 490 2,927 
			 Suspended sentence 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Immediate custody 1,084 103 955 1,085 821 43 98 
			 Otherwise dealt with 149 9 84 53 285 16 172 
			 Total sentenced 7,689 532 6,127 4,115 18,211 674 3,623 
		
	
	
		
			   Drug offences  Other (excluding motoring)  Motoring offences  Summary motoring offences  Summary non-motoring offences  All offences 
			 Absolute discharge 271 186 3 1,329 485 2,969 
			 Conditional discharge 879 293 5 4,665 804 9,238 
			 Fine 1,016 341 8 2,745 5,336 10,453 
			 Community sentence 2,807 2,692 280 25,869 2,639 66,007 
			 Suspended sentence 0 0 0 1 0 1 
			 Immediate custody 214 459 108 713 147 5,830 
			 Otherwise dealt with 76 205 9 1,390 441 2,889 
			 Total sentenced 5,263 4,176 413 36,712 9,852 97,387 
			 (1) Those aged between 10 and 17 at time of sentence  Notes: 1. These data have been supplied on the principal offence basis 2. These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. 3. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.  Source: OMS Analytical Services, Ministry of Justice

Young People: Remand in Custody

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) 15,  (b) 16 and  (c) 17 year olds were on remand in each police force area in 2007-08; and how many subsequently served a prison sentence.

David Hanson: At 30 June 2007, the number of unsentenced  (a) 15,  (b) 16, and  (c) 17-year-olds detained in all prison establishments in England and Wales were as shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Number 
			 15-year-olds 63 
			 16-year-olds 133 
			 17-year-olds 348 
		
	
	These totals comprise the numbers held untried or convicted unsentenced and include both males and females for 17-year-olds; there are no 15 or 16-year-old female prisoners detained on remand in prison establishments in England and Wales.
	This table is taken from table 7.11 of the Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2007, a copy of which can be found in the House of Commons Library and which can also be found at the following website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/prisonandprobation.htm
	I also refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer he was given to him on 1 May 2008,  Official Report, column 662W. A breakdown by police force area is not available.
	During 2007 the proportion of all prisoners held on remand whose court proceedings resulted in immediate custodial sentence was 55 per cent. for males and 47 per cent. for females. This information is not available for 15 to 17-year-olds separately.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

ACAS: Parking

Eric Pickles: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether the workplace parking charges being introduced by Nottingham City Council will be required to be paid in whole or in part by members of staff in respect of  (a) Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service offices and  (b) East Midlands Regional Development Agency offices located within the workplace parking charging zone.

Patrick McFadden: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Transport on 4 February 2009,  Official Report, column reference 1189W.

Apprentices

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform with reference to the answer of 2 June 2008,  Official Report, column 769W, on apprentices, what steps are being taken to increase the number of apprentices employed by his Department.

Patrick McFadden: In our response of 2 June 2008 we were not able to state how many apprentices we had as responsibility was devolved to each business area. We have since established a corporate apprenticeship offer for BERR staff who do not have degrees.
	BERR is promoting a new apprenticeship offer for staff in business administration, customer service, information technology, team leadership and management. Awareness sessions are running for staff and their managers throughout February, with the first programmes starting in April. Our aim is to recruit 20 apprentices at either level 2 or level 3 during the first year, and currently have one member of staff on the apprenticeship pathfinder.
	We are working together with our agencies to help them promote apprenticeships for their staff. Currently Companies House has a 61 staff studying for apprenticeships (35 at level 2 and 26 at level 3).

Bankruptcy

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many  (a) bankruptcy orders and  (b) individual voluntary agreements were recorded in (i) Braintree, (ii) Essex and (iii) England in each year since 1997.

Patrick McFadden: Table 1 as follows shows the number of  (a) bankruptcy orders and  (b) individual voluntary arrangements (IVAs) recorded in (i) Braintree, (ii) Essex and (iii) England in each year from 2000 to 2007. Regional figures are not yet available for 2008, nor for years prior to 2000.
	
		
			  Table 1. 
			2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Bankruptcy Orders England 17,514 19,950 20,870 24,805 32,182 43,023 57,481 59,114 
			  Essex 618 788 753 880 1,280 1,761 2,367 2,372 
			  Braintree 55 75 71 72 123 183 230 194 
			   
			 IVAs England 6,312 5,122 5,230 6,519 9,322 18,537 40,635 39,084 
			  Essex 172 160 160 166 267 609 1,412 1,318 
			  Braintree 13 23 13 14 16 60 122 111 
			 Notes:  1. Classifying insolvent individuals into administrative geographies is done using the postcode that the person provides.  2. Inaccurate or missing postcodes mean that the numbers in the table will be subject to an element of missing data. Nationally, this proportion has been decreasing from about 12 per cent. in 2000 to less than 4 per cent. in 2007.  3. Figures for Essex cover Southend-on-Sea, Thurrock and Essex CC.

Bankruptcy: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many businesses in  (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and  (b) the London Borough of Bexley have been declared bankrupt in each of the last 12 months.

Patrick McFadden: Self-employed traders may be declared bankrupt (or enter into an individual voluntary arrangement (IVA)), however, registered companies are the subject of 'liquidation' (compulsory liquidation or creditors voluntary liquidation (CVL)).
	It is not currently possible, from information held centrally in electronic format, to count the number of insolvent companies in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency or the London borough of Bexley.
	However Table 1 shows the number of self employed bankrupts in each month of 2007 (the latest for which information is currently available for Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and the London borough of Bexley), derived from postcodes provided by bankrupt individuals(1, 2).
	(1 )Classifying bankrupts into administrative geographies is done using the postcode that the bankrupt individual provides. The use of this in assigning an individual to a borough is thus only as reliable as the postcode information provided.
	(2 )In particular, inaccurate or missing postcodes mean that the numbers in the following table will be subject to an element of missing data. Nationally, this proportion has been decreasing from about 12 per cent. in 2000 to less than 4 per cent. in 2007.
	
		
			  Table 1. Self employed bankrupts in 2007 
			   Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency  London borough of Bexley 
			 January 2 3 
			 February 1 2 
			 March 2 4 
			 April 0 0 
			 May 0 0 
			 June 0 2 
			 July 1 1 
			 August 0 1 
			 September 0 2 
			 October 2 3 
			 November 3 5 
			 December 1 1 
		
	
	Similar information is not available for individual voluntary arrangements entered into by the self-employed.

Bankruptcy: Stroud

David Drew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many people have been declared bankrupt in Stroud constituency in each year since 1997.

Patrick McFadden: The following table shows the number of bankruptcies in Stroud constituency in each year between 2000 and 2007, derived from postcodes provided by bankrupt individuals(1, 2). Earlier figures are not available on this basis; figures for 2008 are not yet available
	(1 )Classifying bankrupts into administrative geographies is done using the postcode that the bankrupt individual provides. The use of this in assigning an individual to a borough is thus only as reliable as the postcode information provided.
	(2 )In particular, inaccurate or missing postcodes mean that the numbers in the following table will be subject to an element of missing data. Nationally, this proportion has been decreasing from about 12 per cent. in 2000 to less than 4 per cent. in 2007.
	
		
			  Table 1 
			   Stroud constituency 
			 2000 40 
			 2001 44 
			 2002 65 
			 2003 80 
			 2004 97 
			 2005 115 
			 2006 136 
			 2007 112

Broadband

Nick Herbert: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many households are expected to obtain access to 2MB/s broadband between now and 2012.

Patrick McFadden: Currently 93 per cent. of UK homes are able to access 2MB/s broadband and with improvements to existing home connections this should increase. The Department's officials are working with key stakeholders to develop proposals for universal access to broadband that will be published in the full Digital Britain Report later this year.

Broadband

Nick Herbert: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the costs of ensuring that all households have access to 2MB/s broadband.

Patrick McFadden: The Department's officials are working with key market players and Ofcom to assess the most appropriate and efficient way of delivering universal broadband in the UK.
	The final Digital Britain report containing details of proposals on universal broadband will be published later this year and will look at estimated costs.

Broadband: Low Incomes

John Battle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps his Department is taking to increase levels of access to broadband for lower-income households.

Patrick McFadden: My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister appointed my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales as Minister for Digital Inclusion last year because the Government recognise this as a very important challenge facing the UK.
	While there had been a modest increase in broadband use in recent years it was clear that take-up had slowed down and that the remaining one third of the population (17 million people) would need to see the benefits of the internet and develop the skills and confidence to use it.
	Since taking on the role, the Digital Inclusion Minister has formed a dedicated Cabinet committeeMISC 34, he has established a cross-government coordination unit, and Government have engaged a wide range of stakeholders in developing the cross-government report Delivering Digital InclusionAn Action plan for Consultation
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/deliveringdigitalinclusion
	in order to have a coherent and concerted drive to address digital inclusion and increase access to broadband for poorer households with children for example The Home Access programme. We are also looking at with key stakeholdersplanners, registered social landlords (RSL's) and the construction industry at ways of designing out digital exclusion from social housing, special accommodation and new builds. The action plan details over 70 Government actions taking place to advance digital inclusion and future actions being considered by Government to facilitate access and skills to digital technologies for disadvantaged groups and individuals in The annex
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/digitalinclusionannex
	of the report. The consultation was launched on 27 October 2008 and was extended to 26 January at the request of stakeholders. Government are currently analysing responses to inform further progress.
	My noble Friend, Lord Carter's Digital Britain report will develop plans for a digital Universal Service Commitment to be effective by 2012. An interim report was published on 29 January 2009, which laid out the road of travel and issues Government intend to look at before a full report is published in the summer 2009.

Broadband: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent assessment he has made of the provision of high-speed broadband in Milton Keynes.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 23 February 2009
	The Department has made no recent assessment of the provision of highspeed broadband in Milton Keynes.

Broadband: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what plans he has to fulfil the Government's target of access to a broadband speed of at least 2 MB/s in respect of Milton Keynes.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 23 February 2009
	The Digital Britain interim report includes specific proposals on next generation networks and universal service access to broadband. We will be working with stakeholders to examine how a broadband universal service might work across the UK and will be publishing these findings in the full Digital Britain report in late spring/early summer.
	The Government have also accepted the recommendations made in the Caio Review on broadband and will now act to implement them.

Charities: Telephone Services

Willie Rennie: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will assess the merits of exempting charities from the requirements of the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 in relation to telephone numbers registered with the Telephone Preference Service.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 23 February 2009
	The ability for consumers to register their wish not to be contacted by Direct Marketers, whether they be charities or commercial organisations, is a key benefit of the telephone preference system. The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations lay down rules for organisations, including charities, sending unsolicited marketing by electronic means.
	Direct marketing does not just refer to selling products or services to individuals, it includes the promotional activities of charities as well. This means that both the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 apply to charities.
	The European directive from which these regulations are derived (the Directive on Privacy and Electronic Communications (2002/58/EC)) specifies that the soft opt-in rules on marketing by electronic means apply to all commercial relationships between organisations and consumers.
	Charities may wish to improve the wording of their data protection and privacy statements so that a potential donor would actively invite promotional material through electronic mail.

Departmental Compensation

Robert Wilson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the 10 highest payments made by his Department in settlement of personal injury claims brought against it were in the last 12 months for which figures are available; which of those cases were  (a) contested and  (b) uncontested by his Department; and what the nature of the incident was in each case.

Patrick McFadden: There have been no personal injury claims brought against the Department in the past 12 months.
	The BERR annual report and accounts 2007-08, available at:
	http://www.berr-gov.uk/aboutus/corporate/performance/annual-spending/page47093.html
	confirms that there were few accidents that caused time off work and all were of a minor nature.

Departmental Correspondence

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what his Department's average response time to a letter received from  (a) an hon. Member and  (b) a member of the public was in each year since it was established.

Patrick McFadden: The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to Members correspondence. The report for 2007 was published on 20 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 71-74WS. Information for 2008 is currently being collated and will be published as soon as it is ready. Reports for earlier years are available in the Library of the House.
	With respect to correspondence from members of the public, this information cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate costs. The Department does however aim to respond to all written correspondence within 15 working days.
	Statistics on the handling of letters from members of the public are published in the BERR annual report which will be available later in the year.

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many staff in his Department were disciplined for  (a) bullying and  (b) harassment of colleagues in each of the last three years.

Patrick McFadden: In total, there have been fewer than five such cases in the Department over the past three years. I am unable to give further details as to do so could breach the confidentiality of individuals concerned.

Departmental Manpower

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many people his Department employs.

Patrick McFadden: Information on the number of people employed by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform is available through the Quarterly Public Sector Employment Survey statistics published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The latest published statistics are for 30 September 2008 (quarter 3, 2008) and can be accessed from the following link:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/Table6AllDepts.xls

Departmental Parliamentary Questions

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's internal guidance for officials on the drafting of answers to parliamentary questions.

Patrick McFadden: Cabinet Office guidance for civil servants on drafting answers to parliamentary questions was updated on 25 November 2008. A copy of the guidance is in the Library of the House. It can also be found on the Cabinet Office website at:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/propriety_and_ethics/civil service/pq_guidance.aspx
	BERRs internal guidance for officials answering parliamentary questions is updated regularly and issued on the Department's intranet. I will send the hon. Member a copy and also arrange for it to be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Departmental Sick Leave

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the average duration of single periods of sick leave taken by staff in  (a) his Department and its predecessor,  (b) its agencies and  (c) the non-departmental bodies for which his Department has responsibility was in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: Information for 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006-07 for the Department, its predecessor and its agencies can be found on the civil service website at:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/statistics/sickness.asp
	For years prior to 2003, sickness absence data is not available in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Sick Leave

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  how many sick days were taken by employees in  (a) his Department and its predecessor,  (b) its agencies and  (c) the non-departmental bodies for which his Department has responsibility due to (i) stress and (ii) mental health and behavioural disorders in each of the last 10 years; what proportion of sick days taken in each body this represented in each case; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of staff in  (a) his Department and its predecessor,  (b) its agencies and  (c) the non-departmental bodies for which his Department has responsibility have taken sick days due to (i) stress and (ii) mental health and behavioural disorders in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: Information for 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006-07 for the Department, its predecessor and its agencies can be found on the civil service website at:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/statistics/sickness.asp
	Stress, mental health and behavioural disorders all fall within the category of 'mental and behavioural disorders'.
	For years prior to 2003, sickness absence data is not available in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Sick Pay

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many staff in  (a) his Department and its predecessor,  (b) its agencies and  (c) the non-departmental bodies for which his Department has responsibility have received sick pay for sick leave due to (i) stress and (ii) mental health and behavioural disorders in each of the last 10 years; what the average length of time was for which sick pay was paid in these cases; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: The Department does not routinely calculate the number of staff who have received sick pay for stress, or the average length of time for which sick pay was paid in those cases. As this would involve manually investigating employee sickness records and pay details on an individual basis, the cost of doing this would be disproportionate to the benefit to be derived.
	Information relating to agencies and non-departmental bodies will, where available, be provided separately by those bodies.
	 Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 24 February 2009:
	The Minister of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has asked me to reply to you directly in respect of your question (2008/23) asking how many staff have received sick pay, and what the average length of time was for which sick leave was paid for staff with stress, mental health and behavioural disorders in each of the last 10 years.
	The information for the year 1999 is not provided as no reliable data exists. The table below schedules the period 2000-08.
	
		
			  Calendar Year  Number of staff who have received sick pay for absence with Stress  Average length of time off (days)  Number of staff who have received sick pay for absence with mental health and behavioural disorders  Average length of time off (days) 
			 2000 36 22 41 38 
			 2001 36 28 62 37 
			 2002 54 23 69 33 
			 2003 70 25 69 21 
			 2004 71 29 84 30 
			 2005 67 23 65 35 
			 2006 128 13 96 29 
			 2007 130 35 74 28 
		
	
	
		
			  Paid time off for stress, mental health and behavioural disorders combined 
			  Calendar Year  Days 
			 2000 30 
			 2001 32 
			 2002 28 
			 2003 22 
			 2004 29 
			 2005 27 
			 2006 19 
			 2007 31 
			 2008 34 
		
	
	 Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 24 February 2009:
	I am responding on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 3 December 2008, UIN 241091, to the Minister of State for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
	Companies House do not keep details of staff sickness for stress, mental health and behavioural disorders separately, they are categorised together. Details for the last ten years are not available, however those for the last eight years for which records are available are as follows:
	
		
			  Financial Year  Number of staff  Average length of time paid  (days) 
			 2000/01 53 37 
			 2001/02 66 38 
			 2002/03 81 32 
			 2003/04 93 54 
			 2004/05 90 52 
			 2005/06 107 40 
			 2006/07 140 46 
			 2007/08 96 39

Departmental Travel

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what expenditure his Department has incurred in providing transport for Ministers between Parliament and departmental premises in each year since his Department was established.

Patrick McFadden: I refer the hon. member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 26 January 2009,  Official Report, column 6W. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial code.

Foreign Workers: EU Nationals

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many companies from other EU member states with contracts in the UK have brought a workforce of non-UK nationals to the UK in each of the last four years.

Patrick McFadden: The Department does not collect such data.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when the Secretary of State plans to reply to the letter of 18 December 2008 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. Thomas Stocker, transferred from the Ministry of Defence.

Patrick McFadden: I responded to my right hon. Friend on 11 February 2009.

Oil: Reserves

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what proportion of the UK's compulsory oil stocks under EU law are accounted for by the Compulsory Oil Stock Reservation Agreement for stock held outside the UK.

Mike O'Brien: I have been asked to reply.
	The UK has bilateral agreements with other EU countries where they can hold stocks on behalf of the UK and the UK can hold stocks on their behalf.
	The latest figures for November 2008 show that the net proportion of stocks held abroad equated to 18 per cent. of the UK's compulsory oil stocks.

Postal Services: Rural Areas

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent representations he has received on the removal by Royal Mail of certain rural addresses from the national database of postcodes.

Patrick McFadden: The Postcode Address File (PAF) is owned and managed by Royal Mail. The provision of this service is an operational matter for which Royal Mail has direct responsibility.
	As specified under the Postal Services Act 2000 and as a condition of its licence, the company is obliged to maintain the PAF and to make it available to any person who wishes to use it on terms that are reasonable.
	Postcomm, the industry regulator, will consider the merits of complaints about Royal Mail's management of the PAF in accordance with its statutory duties.

Regional Development Agencies

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Beckenham of 6 October 2008,  Official Report, column 288W, on regional development agencies: offices, what the address is of each overseas office of each regional development agency.

Patrick McFadden: The addresses of RDA overseas offices are as requested .
	 Advantage West Midlands
	 Germany - Advantage West Midlands, Im Dornenhau 29, D-50129, Bergheim-Glessen, Germany
	 France - Advantage West Midlands, 33, Avenue du Maine, Tour Montparnasse, 75755 Paris Cedex 15, France
	 Brussels - Advantage West Midlands, c/o West Midlands in Europe, Oudergemselaan 22-28
	Avenue d'Auderghem, B-1040 Brussels, Belgium
	 Nordic area - Advantage West Midlands (Nordic), Wifsta Manor, SE-861 33 Timra-Sundsvall, Sweden
	The Japanese and both American office are full time offices and directly staffed. The Indian and Australian are staffed part-time via an external consultant.
	 (Shared with EMDA) Japan ( until 31.03 09 only) - British Midlands Japan Office, Kishimoto Building (3F), 311A, 2-1 Marunouchi 2 Chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100 0005,Japan
	 (Shared with EMDA) India (emda only from 01.04.09) - British Midlands India OfficeSquare Circle Consultancy, Mangesh Building 1st Floor, 9 Avantikabal Gukhale Street, Opera House, Mumbai 400004, India
	 (Shared with EMDA) Australia - British Midlands Australia Office, Corvon Pty Ltd, 461 Whitehorse Road, Balwyn Victoria 3103, Australia
	 (Shared with EMDA) USA East Coast (until 28.02.09 only) - British Midlands Boston Office, The British Midlands, 225 Franklin Street, 26th Floor, Boston, MA 02110, USA
	 (Shared with EMDA) USA Midwest (until 31.03.09 only) - British Midlands Chicago Office - The British Midlands, Civic Opera Building, 20 North Wacker Drive, Suite 930, Chicago, IL 60606, USA
	 (Shared with EMDA) USA West Coast (until 28.02.09 only) - British Midlands San Jose Office, The British Midlands, 95 South Market Street, Suite 300, San Jose, California 95113, USA
	 East Midlands Development Agency
	The East Midlands German and French offices are staffed part-time through an external consultant.
	 Germany - England's East Midlands Germany Office, DS Consulting GmbH, Mangstrasse 29, 80997 Munich, Bavaria, Germany
	 France - England's East Midlands France Office, Breeze Strategy (France), 52 rue du Roi de Sicile, Paris 75004, France
	The Japanese and both American office are full time offices and directly staffed. The Indian and Australian are staffed part-time via an external consultant.
	 (Shared with AWM) Japan ( until 31.03 09 only) - British Midlands Japan Office, Kishimoto Building (3F), 311 A, 2-1 Marunouchi 2 Chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100 0005, Japan
	 (Shared with AWM) India (emda only from 01.04.09) - British Midlands India OfficeSquare Circle Consultancy, Mangesh Building 1st Floor, 9 Avantikabal Gukhale Street, Opera House, Mumbai 400004, India
	 (Shared with AWM) Australia - British Midlands Australia Office, Corvon Pty Ltd, 461 Whitehorse Road, Balwyn Victoria 3103, Australia
	 (Shared with AWM) USA East Coast (until 28.02.09 only) - British Midlands Boston Office, The British Midlands, 225 Franklin Street, 26th Floor, Boston, MA 02110, USA
	 (Shared with AWM) USA Midwest (until 31.03.09 only) - British Midlands Chicago Office - The British Midlands, Civic Opera Building, 20 North Wacker Drive, Suite 930, Chicago, IL 60606, USA
	 (Shared with AWM) USA West Coast (until 28.02.09 only) - British Midlands San Jose Office, The British Midlands, 95 South Market Street, Suite 300, San Jose, California 95113, USA
	 East Of England Development Agency
	No overseas offices
	 London Development Agency
	 China - The London China Office Beijing, Unit 9A, 11 Level. CI Office Tower. Oriental Plaza. Nol East Changan Avenue. Dongcheng District. Beijing 100738 China
	 China - The London China Office Shanghai, 1st Floor Cross Tower, 318 Fuzhou Road, Shanghai 200001, China
	A rented desk within the British Council, Shanghai office.
	 India - The London India Office Delhi, Level 4, Rectangle 1, Commercial Complex D4, Saket, New Delhi - 110017. India
	 India - The London India Office Mumbai, Regus, Level 6, Vaswani Manisions, Dinshaw Vacha Road. Churchgate, Mumbai - 400 020, India
	 North West Development Agency
	The NWDA does not maintain direct offices overseas but works in collaboration with other organisations to have representation in key markets for the purposes of foreign direct investment (FDI).
	 (Shared with YF) Japan - The North of England, Renai Partire Shiodome 5F, 2-18-3, Higashi Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0021, Japan (joint Japanese office with Yorkshire Forward under the North of England brand).
	 (Shared with ONE) USA - 444 N.Michigan Avenue, Suite 441, Chicago 60611 (joint American office with ONE under the North of England brand) with small joint satellite offices at:-
	3455 Peachtree Road NE, 5th Floor, Atlanta, Georgia 30326 USA
	4695 MacArthur Court, 11th Floor, Newport Beach, CA 92660, USA
	8 Faneuil Hall Market Place, 3rd Floor, Boston , MA 02109, USA
	 One North East
	 China - Unit 2604, Westgate Tower, 1038 Nanjing West Road, Shanghai 200041, China
	 Japan - One North East Japan, 4th Floor, BR Shinagawa, 2 Building, 10-6 Kita-Shinagawa, 1-chome, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 140-0001, Japan
	 Brussels - North East England Office, Centre for the Regions, Boulevard St Michel 80 1040 Brussels, Belgium
	 (Shared with NWDA) USA - 444 N.Michigan Avenue, Suite 441, Chicago 60611 with small joint satellite offices at:-
	3455 Peachtree Road NE, 5th Floor, Atlanta, Georgia 30326 USA
	4695 MacArthur Court, 11th Floor, Newport Beach, CA 92660, USA
	8 Faneuil Hall Market Place, 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02109, USA
	 South East of England Development Agency
	SEEDA does not maintain any overseas offices. It retains the services of a network of representatives, who can be contacted at the following addresses:
	 Japan - Business Information Centre, Trade and Industry Centre Building, 2, Yamashita-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama 231-0023, Japan
	 China - Suite 1620, New Town Centre, 83 Loushanguan Road, Shanghai 200336, China
	 India - British Deputy High Commission, 11th Floor Namam Chambers, C32/ G Block, Bandra-Kurla Complex, Mumbai 40051, India
	 Australasia - 180a Warringah Road, Beacon Hill 2100, NSW, Australia
	 South Korea - IKP Building 8th Floor, 300-6 Yomgok-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul Korea 137-170
	 USA East Coast - 580 Harrison Ave, 4th Floor, Boston, MA 02110, USA
	 USA Midwest - 200 S. Wacker Drive, Suite 3100, Chicago, IL 60606, USA
	 USA West Coast - 600 Anton Boulevard, 11th Floor, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, USA
	 USA West Coast - 530 Lytton Ave, Suite 205, Palo Alto, CA 94301, USA
	 Germany - c/o Dr Baumer Consultants, Leimengrubenstrasse 16, 70839 Gerlingen, Germany
	 France - Quartier St Marcel, 84830 Serignan du Comtat, Vaucluse, France
	 South West of England Development Agency
	 Japan - 403, Nishiyama-kogyo Akasaka Building, 15-18 Akasaka 2 - Chome, Minato-ku , Tokyo 107 - 0052, Japan
	 China - RM 216, 2/F, Overseas Chinese Scholars Venture Bldg, Shenzhen Hi-tech Park, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, China 518057
	 Australia  and New Zealand- 23 Arden Street, North Melbourne, Victoria 3051, Australia
	 Yorkshire Forward
	 China - Yorkshire Forward China Office, A - 809 Zhejiang World Trade Centre, 122 Shuguang Road, Hangzhou 310007. P R China
	 India - Yorkshire Forward, British Deputy High Commission, Maker Chambers IV, Second Floor, 222 Jamnalal Bajaj Road, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400021
	 (Shared with NWDA) Japan - Renai Partire Shiodome 5F, 2-18-3, Higashi Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0021, Japan.

Telephone Preference Service: Charities

Willie Rennie: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the effects of registration with the telephone preference scheme on the ability of charities to raise funds through telephone appeals.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 12 February 2009
	The Department has made no assessment of the effect of the registration with the telephone preference scheme (TPS) on the ability of charities to raise funds through telephone appeals. The effectiveness of the TPS is a matter for the Information Commissioner's Office.
	The ability for consumers to register their wish not to be contacted unnecessarily by Direct Marketeers, whether they be charities or commercial organisations, is a key benefit of the telephone preference system.
	Before they register with the TPS, consumers should bear in mind that they may miss out on calls from companies and charities that they would be happy to hear from. It is important to make sure that permission is given in advance to those companies and charities so they can continue to contact potential donors via the telephone.

Welsh Language

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many members of staff at each grade in his Department identify themselves as Welsh speakers.

Patrick McFadden: The information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Age: Discrimination

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality whether the plans outlined in section seven of the Government's draft legislative programme on improved data collection on equality include the collection of data on discrimination based on age, with particular reference to children and young people under 18 years old; and if she will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The reference to 'improved data collection on equality' made in the draft legislative programme relates to the equality measurement framework (EMF), currently under development at the London School of Economics and Oxford University, with support from the Government Equalities Office and the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
	The EMF is designed to measure all equality strands, including age. However, the framework is intended for adults only. The EHRC, Government Equalities Office and others are therefore considering whether a similar project could be developed to produce a set of indicators suitable for children.

Charities

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality pursuant to the answer of 20 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1312W, on charities, what criteria the Government Equalities Office used in determining applications for funding from the charities referred to; and if she will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: For the special fund for rape crisis centres, the following criteria were used:
	Applicants had to be a member of Rape Crisis England and Wales, ensuring that the fund was targeted at those organisations where there was evidence of need for support;
	Applicants had to have a demonstrable charitable purpose;
	Applications for funding could only be sought for the continuation of support services to victims of sexual violence.
	For the three other charities listed in 20 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1312W, the main criteria were:
	Applicants had to have a demonstrable charitable purpose;
	The projects for which funding was sought had to contribute to the Government Equalities Office's departmental strategic objective to address the disadvantage that individuals experience because of their gender, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief.
	As set out in my answer to 251979, decisions on any future funding to these or other charities will be announced in the usual way.

Departmental Buildings

Greg Clark: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality if she will place in the Library a copy of the  (a) display energy certificates and  (b) advisory reports for public buildings issued in respect of each property occupied by the Government Equalities Office.

Maria Eagle: The Government Equalities Office is based in Eland House, the headquarters building of Communities and Local Government.
	It will fall to CLG to place copies of the relevant certificates and reports in the Library.

Departmental Foreign Workers

David Simpson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many  (a) EU foreign nationals and  (b) non-EU foreign nationals are employed by the Government Equalities Office.

Maria Eagle: The Government Equalities Office employs five EU foreign nationals and three non-EU foreign nationals.

Equality: Pay

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what recent steps the Government have taken to reduce the gender pay gap.

Maria Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the recent answer given to the hon. Member for Basingstoke (Mrs. Miller) by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Women and Equality on 27 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 160-61.

Rape: Victim Support Schemes

Lynne Jones: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many rape crisis centres have closed in each of the last five years; how much has been spent on  (a) services for rape victims and  (b) rape crisis centres in each of the last five years; what steps she is taking to increase the (i) capacity and (ii) financial stability of rape crisis centres; and if she will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The Government do not record information on rape crisis centre closures. However information provided by Rape Crisis England and Wales in 2008 stated that eight centres had closed in the previous three years with a further two centres closing temporarily, before re-opening. In March 2008 the Minister for Women, Harriet Harman announced a special fund to prevent the closure of at-risk rape crisis centres. Since that time, no centres have closed.
	The following table summarises total Government funding to  (a) services for rape victims, and  (b) rape crisis centres (identified as affiliated to Rape Crisis England and Wales in the given year) in each of the last five years. The figures in the table represent funding streams from across Government.
	
		
			   
			   2008-09  2007-08  2006-07  2005-06  2004-05 
			  (a) Total funding on services for rape victims 3,364, 247 2,564, 664 1,603, 242 1,908, 657 943,828 
			  (b) Total funding for rape crisis centres only 1,686, 345 844,562 673,538 473,717 199,270 
		
	
	The Government have invested around 11 million over the last five years in specialist services for victims of sexual violence; this is in addition to funding provided locally. Most of this funding has come from the Victims. Fund.
	The Government have taken steps to build the capacity and sustainability of organisations working with victims of rape and sexual violence and to raise the issue of sexual violence locally. This has included providing 150,000 core funding to umbrella organisations, Rape Crisis England and Wales and The Survivors' Trust to help build the stability of the sector, including increasing capacity of rape crisis centres.
	In relation to (ii) I met with Rape Crisis England and Wales and the Survivors Trust on 12 February to discuss the financial stability of the sector going forward.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the policy of Connexions is on the provision to students under the age of 16 years attending Catholic schools of access to  (a) abortion and  (b) abortifacient birth control drugs and devices without parental (i) knowledge and (ii) permission; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: Under-16s have the same right to confidential advice on abortion and contraceptionincluding emergency contraceptionas adults. Where a young woman discloses to a non-health professional working in a schoolsuch as a Connexions Personal Adviser or Youth Workerthat they are, or may be pregnant, the professional should refer the young woman to a health professional. There is no legal obligation to inform or seek permission from the young woman's parent or carer before making the referral, although professionals are required to make every effort to encourage the young woman to talk to her parent or carer.
	However, confidentiality is not absolute and can be breached if the professional judges that the young woman is at risk of significant harm. If this is the case, the professional would follow local child protection procedures.

Apprentices

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the answer of 4 June 2008,  Official Report, column 947W, on apprentices, what progress his Department has made towards meeting its share of the Government's commitment to employ over 1,000 apprentices in central Government Departments and agencies in 2008-09.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Children Schools and Families, and for Innovation Universities and Skills together with other members of the Cabinet this week announced 21,000 new apprenticeships in the public sector to deliver on the Government's pledge earlier this year to create 35,000 additional apprenticeship places. This will considerably expand the number of apprenticeship places in frontline public services including hospitals, schools, colleges and town halls across the country in 2009-10. The following table sets out the number of people undertaking apprenticeship training as part of the Government Skills National Apprenticeship Pathfinder scheme in 2008-09:
	
		
			  Department  Numbers currently on apprenticeship programmes  Total numbers expected to start apprenticeship programmes in 2008-09 
			 BERR 1 1 
			 Cabinet Office 4 4 
			 DCLG 8 8 
			 DCSF 20 27 
			 DIUS 19 22 
			 DoH 1 3 
			 Driving Standards Agency 84 84 
			 DWP 195 195 
			 FCO 0 64 
			 GCHQ 10 10 
			 HMRC 16 155 
			 HM Treasury(1) 0 0 
			 MoJ 353 353 
			 HO/UKBA 260 336 
			 MoD 62 62 
			 ONS 68 68 
			 Total 1,106 1,395 
			 (1) I refer the right hon. Member to the reply to his question of 9 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1618W.

Children

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what guidance his Department has issued on which Every Child Matters outcomes should be directly linked to the curriculum.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority has published Every Child Matters at the heart of the curriculum booklet. This explores the place of Every Child Matters as a fundamental part of the curriculum, why each outcome is important and the implications for curriculum design. It also looks at the type of learning experiencesboth in the curriculum and out of lessonsthat schools can design to achieve each of the Every Child Matters outcomes.
	There is further QCA guidance on the importance of the Every Child Matters outcomes in designing an effective new secondary curriculum, available at:
	http://curriculum.qca.org.uk/key-stages-3-and-4/personaldevelopment/index.aspx

Children In Care

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of pupils who were children in care  (a) lived and  (b) attended school in the most deprived decile of lower layer super output areas as determined by the income deprivation affecting children indices in 2008.

Beverley Hughes: The information requested is as follows:
	4,847 pupils(1,)( )(2 )who were children in care live in the most deprived decile of lower layer super output areas as determined by IDACI3 2008. This represents 14.2 per cent. of all pupils who were children in care of known residence in England.
	4,245 pupils(1,)( )(2 )who were children in care attend school in the most deprived decile of lower layer super output areas as determined by IDACI(3) in 2008. This represents 12.3 per cent. of all pupils who were children in care attending schools in England.
	(1)( )Includes solely registered and main registration of dually registered pupils.
	(2)( )Includes pupils aged five to 19 years attending maintained nursery, primary, secondary, CTC's, Academies, special and non-maintained special schools.
	(3 )Income Deprivation Affecting Children Indices.
	 Source:
	Spring 2008 School Census

Departmental Cleaning Services

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what contractors his Department uses to undertake cleaning duties; and what the hourly rates of pay are for cleaners working in his Department.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department for Children, Schools and Families engages MITIE Cleaning and Support Services Ltd (MCSS) to undertake cleaning duties across its headquarter buildings located in London, Sheffield, Runcorn and Darlington. The cleaning staff are paid national minimum wage, however, it is our intention to pay London based cleaning staff 7.45 per hour with effect from 1 April 2009.

Departmental Consultants

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many people were employed by his Department as consultants in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: In keeping with good procurement practice most consultancy engagements placed by DCSF are based on a requirement for the delivery of outcomes or outputs, and not for the number of people employed. Our management information system reflects this and records the numbers and values of contracts or engagements, rather than individual consultants. We are, therefore, unable to answer the question in the way it has been asked. However, the total number of live consultancy engagements in DCSF at the end of November 2008 was 329 and at the end of November 2007 was 202. The equivalent figure for the Department for Education and Skills at the end of November 2006 was 146. Figures were not kept centrally for previous years. The increase partly reflects the need for additional input from external experts on our delivery programmes (such as academies and contact point) and partly better recording as new systems we introduced in 2006-07 bedded in.

Departmental Impact Assessments

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many equalities impact assessments his Department has undertaken in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such assessments.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: 27 equality impact assessments (EQUIAs) have been undertaken within DCSF in the last 12 month period. There are no significant additional costs in carrying out these assessments as the requirement to undertake EQUIAs is an integral part of the policy making process.

Departmental Pay

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department has allocated for staff bonuses in 2008-09.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department's annual non-consolidated performance payments for 2008-09 totalled 1.9 million and was met within existing pay controls.
	Payments are used to drive high performance and those for the senior civil service are based on recommendations from the independent Senior Salaries Review Body.

Education: Standards

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he is taking to encourage and improve  (a) individual,  (b) parental and  (c) community responsibility in improving education standards.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: It is important that individuals, parents and schools should all take responsibility for improvements in educational standards. In fact this is essential if the nation is to get a proper return on the large and growing investment in education in the early years and in schools, colleges and universities. Education standards have risen greatly over the past decade, thanks in part to the partnership between the education system and the young people whom it exists to support, but there is more to do. The Children's Plan set out the Government's commitment to put children and young people, their families and their communities at the heart of everything we do. Partnership with parents is a unifying theme of the Children's Plan, and the chapter entitled Excellence and Equity sets out further steps the Government are taking to extend and deepen this partnership, and to respond to the views of pupils themselves. It is also vital to raise educational aspirations at both family and community level, and the recently announced cross-Government project Inspiring Communities is one example of how this vision is being carried forward.

GCE A-level

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils in each decile of income deprivation affecting children indices achieved three A grades at A level in 2008.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information requested is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Candidates( 1)  aged 16-18( 2)  achieving 3 A grades at A-level in maintained schools by IDACI decile( 3) , 2008( 4) 
			  IDACI Decile( 3)  Number of candidates achieving 3 or mo re A grades at GCEA/CE/Applied A-l evel and double awards  Percentage of candidates achieving 3 or more A grades( 5)  at GCEA/CE/Applied A -l evel and double awards 
			 0-0% most deprived 939 6.9 
			 10-20% 940 6.4 
			 20-30% 1,670 6.2 
			 30-40% 1,635 7.8 
			 40-50% 2,608 10.3 
			 50-60% 2,282 9.8 
			 60-70% 2,506 8.9 
			 70-80% 1,931 9.0 
			 80-90% 2,549 10.4 
			 90-100% least deprived 3,326 11.3 
			 (1)( )16-18 year old candidates entered for GCEA/CE applied A-levels and double awards in 2008. (2)( )Age at the start of the 2007/08 academic year i.e. 31 August 2007. (3)( )2007 income deprivation affecting children index at super output area level based on the location of the school. (4)( )Figures are based on revised data. (5)( )A VCE/GCE Applied double award at grade AA counts as two grade As, an award at grade AB counts as one.

GCE A-level

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of students who gained an A-level in  (a) sociology,  (b) media studies and  (c) communication and culture at each grade were educated in (i) the independent sector and (ii) the state sector in each year since 2005.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information requested is presented in the following tables.
	
		
			  Proportion of candidates gaining each grade in A-level sociology who were educated in the state and independent sectors, 2005-08 
			   Grade 
			  Sociology  A  B  C  D  E  Other  Total 
			  2005
			 Number of candidates 4,492 6,102 6,100 4,200 2,011 589 23,494 
			 Percentage educated in state sector 97 98 98 99 99 99 98 
			 Percentage educated in independent sector 3 2 2 1 1 1 2 
			 
			  2006
			 Number of candidates 5,035 6,471 6,279 4,117 1,790 548 24,240 
			 Percentage educated in state sector 97 98 99 99 99 99 98 
			 Percentage educated in independent sector 3 2 1 1 1 1 2 
			 
			  2007
			 Number of candidates 5,299 6,460 6,266 4,148 1,808 548 24,529 
			 Percentage educated in state sector 98 98 98 99 99 99 98 
			 Percentage educated in independent sector 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 
			 
			  2008
			 Number of candidates 5,615 6,966 6,438 4,182 1,792 423 25,416 
			 Percentage educated in state sector 97 98 99 99 99 98 98 
			 Percentage educated in independent sector 3 2 1 1 1 2 2 
		
	
	
		
			  Proportion of candidates gaining each grade in A-level media/film/TV studies who were educated in the state and independent sectors, 2005-08 
			   Grade 
			  Media/film/TV studies  A  B  C  D  E  Other  Total 
			  2005
			 Number of candidates 2,670 5,840 7,083 4,280 1,261 333 21,467 
			 Percentage educated in state sector 95 97 98 99 99 99 98 
			 Percentage educated in independent sector 5 3 2 1 1 1 2 
			 
			  2006
			 Number of candidates 2,985 6,375 7,604 4,393 1,374 255 22,986 
			 Percentage educated in state sector 95 97 98 98 99 99 97 
			 Percentage educated in independent sector 5 3 2 2 1 1 3 
			 
			  2007
			 Number of candidates 3,151 6,867 7,694 4,151 1,202 248 23,313 
			 Percentage educated in state sector 96 97 98 98 99 99 97 
			 Percentage educated in independent sector 4 3 2 2 1 1 3 
			 
			  2008
			 Number of candidates 3,234 7,151 8,023 4,345 1,160 222 24,135 
			 Percentage educated in state sector 95 97 98 98 98 100 97 
			 Percentage educated in independent sector 5 3 2 2 2 0 3 
		
	
	
		
			  Proportion of candidates gaining each grade in A-level communication studies who were educated in the state and independent sectors, 2005-08 
			   Grade 
			  Communication studies  A  B  C  D  E  Other  Total 
			  2005
			 Number of candidates 1,394 2,744 2,811 1,306 381 95 8,731 
			 Percentage educated in state sector 96 98 99 99 99 100 98 
			 Percentage educated in independent sector 4 2 1 1 1 0 2 
			 
			  2006
			 Number of candidates 1,471 3,065 3,073 1,458 422 98 9,587 
			 Percentage educated in state sector 96 97 98 98 99 100 97 
			 Percentage educated in independent sector 4 3 2 2 1 0 3 
			 
			  2007
			 Number of candidates 1,614 3,303 3,286 1,396 318 90 10,007 
			 Percentage educated in state sector 96 97 98 98 98 99 97 
			 Percentage educated in independent sector 4 3 2 2 2 1 3 
			 
			  2008
			 Number of candidates 1,484 3,188 3,280 1,297 306 82 9,637 
			 Percentage educated in state sector 96 97 98 98 99 96 97 
			 Percentage educated in independent sector 4 3 2 2 1 4 3

GCSE

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many students in receipt of free school meals took English literature GCSE in  (a) 1997,  (b) 2003 and  (c) the latest year for which figures are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: holding answer 29 January 2009
	It is not possible to provide figures for 1997, prior to 2002 data on pupil characteristics (including free school meal eligibility) was not matched to achievement and attainment data.
	In 2003, in maintained schools in England, 56,723 (70 per cent.) pupils aged 15 at the start of the academic year, who were eligible to receive free school meals attempted GCSE English literature.
	In 2008, in maintained schools in England, 46,924 (63 per cent.) pupils aged 15 at the start of the academic year, who were eligible to receive free school meals attempted GCSE English literature.
	In 2003, 423,701 (86 per cent.) pupils (aged 15 at the start of the academic year) not eligible to receive free school meals attempted GCSE English literature in maintained schools.
	In 2008, 421,095 (81 per cent.) pupils (aged 15 at the start of the academic year) not eligible to receive free school meals attempted GCSE English literature in maintained schools.

GCSE Mathematics

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many individuals gained mathematics GCSE at grade C or higher through passing equivalent tests or examinations in the last five years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: In 2008, GCE AS mathematics was the only other qualification that counted in departmental indicators as an equivalent pass in GCSE mathematics. 936 pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 achieved the equivalent of grade A*-C in GCE AS level mathematics.
	Prior to 2008 only GCSE mathematics passes were included.

Higher Education: Admissions

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent estimate he has made of the percentage of young people from care going to university.

Beverley Hughes: I refer the hon. Member to the response given on 15 December 2008,  Official Report, column 535W.

Music: Education

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 15 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 385-6W, on music: education, 
	(1)  when his Department published the formal evaluation of the programme of professional development for music teachers; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what reports his Department has received on the effectiveness of the Professional Development Fund for music teachers; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the effects of the 2 million fund for professional development of music teachers on standards of instrumental and vocal tuition in maintained schools; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 15 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 385-6W, which said that the evaluation of the programme of professional development for practitioners involved in music in primary schools is ongoing and extensive. Trinity College London and The Open University collect a wide range of data which demonstrate the extent to which music practitioners have engaged with the CPD programme. In summary: 1,300 have engaged with the programme at some level, 733 have attended the core modules, and 304 portfolios have been received to date.
	An analysis of the feedback from participants in the programme indicates a high level of satisfaction with their experience. It is too early to gauge the impact on children's learning but informal evidence from local authorities who had a high proportion of teachers taking part is very positive. A review of the first phase of the programme will be published in March and will be made available through the programme website at
	www.ks2music.org.uk

Numeracy: Qualifications

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many individuals gained  (a) Level 1 and  (b) Level 2 numeracy qualifications through Allan Tests in the last five years.

Si�n Simon: holding answer  2 February 2009
	 I have been asked to reply.
	The information provided relates to the Adult Literacy Language and Numeracy tests. The answer has been given in terms of 2010 PSA target-bearing Skills for Life qualifications.
	The following table shows the number of learners achieving at least one approved Skills for Life Level 1 numeracy or Level 2 numeracy qualification from 2004-05 to 2007-08 who attended FE Colleges, University for Industry, Work-based learning and Adult Safeguarded Learning.
	The table shows only those achievements which count towards the 2010 PSA target which is to improve the basic skill levels of 2.25 million adults between the launch of Skills for Life in 2001 and 2010. This target was achieved in 2008.
	The data prior to 2004-05 is calculated on a slightly different basis to these figures and has not been provided.
	
		
			  Skills for life achievements 
			   L1 numeracy achievements  L2 numeracy achievements 
			 2004-05 118,900 111,600 
			 2005-06 167,100 145,000 
			 2006-07 181,400 159,100 
			 2007-08 190,600 171,200 
			  Note: Volumes are rounded to the nearest hundred.  Source:  FE, Ufl, WBL and ASL Individualised Learning Records.

Pre-school Education: Teachers

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many candidates have achieved the Early Years Professional Status to date; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: To date, 2,527 people have been awarded Early Years Professional Status.

Pre-school Education: Teachers

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many candidates have been awarded Early Years sector-endorsed foundation degrees to date.

Beverley Hughes: The exact number of candidates awarded the Early Years Sector Endorsed Foundation Degree (EYSEFD) is not known, but we estimate that over 6,500 students have been awarded EYSEFDs since the qualification was introduced in 2002.

Pre-school Education: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many nursery places were available in City of York constituency in each of the last 20 years.

Beverley Hughes: Information on the number of nursery places available is not collected centrally, however information on the number of part-time early education places filled is shown in the tables.
	Table 1 provides information about the part-time equivalent number of free early education places filled by three and four-year-olds in City of York parliamentary constituency area from 2004 to 2008. Data at parliamentary constituency level are not available prior to 2004.
	
		
			  Table 1: Part-time equivalent number of free early education places( 1, 2, 3)  filled by three and four-year-olds, city of York  parliamentary constituency , position in January each year 
			   Three-year-olds  Four-year-olds 
			   Maintained nursery and primary schools( 4)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers( 5)  Total three-year-olds  Maintained nursery and primary schools( 6)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers( 7)  Total four-year-olds 
			 2004 560 430 990 820 200 1,000 
			 2005 600 410 1,000 800 210 1,000 
			 2006 520 520 1,000 810 240 1,000 
			 2007 510 450 960 740 210 950 
			 2008 580 610 1,200 750 220 970 
			 (1) A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. (3) Prior to 2004, information on early education places was derived from returns made by local authorities as part of the nursery education grant (NEG) data collection exercise. These data were collected at local authority level, therefore, data for this parliamentary constituency prior to 2004 is not available. (4) Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (5) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. (6) Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (7) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. 
		
	
	Table 2 provides information about the part-time equivalent number of free early education places filled by three and four-year-olds for York local authority area for the years 1997 to 2008.
	
		
			  Table 2: Part-time equivalent number of free early education places( 1, 2)  filled by three and four-year-olds, York local authority, position in January each year 
			   Three-year-olds  Four-year-olds 
			   Maintained nursery and primary schools( 3)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  Total three-year-olds  Maintained nursery and primary schools( 4)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  Total four-year-olds 
			 1997 680 n/a 680 n/a n/a (5, 6)1,900 
			 1998 750 n/a 750 n/a n/a (5, 6)1,800 
			 1999 810 n/a 810 n/a n/a (5, 6)1,900 
			 2000 790 (7)0 800 n/a n/a (5, 6)2,000 
			 2001 700 (7)920 1,600 n/a n/a (5, 6)1,800 
			 2002 690 (7)950 1,600 1,500 (5)390 1,900 
			 2003 640 (7)980 1,600 1,500 (8)380 1,900 
			 2004 660 (9)900 1,600 1,500 (10)340 1,800 
			 2005 700 (9)940 1,600 1,400 (10)380 1,700 
			 2006 630 (9)1,000 1,700 1,400 (10)420 1,900 
			 2007 600 (9)1,000 1,600 1,300 (10)390 1,700 
			 2008 690 (9)1,400 2,100 1,400 (10)440 1,800 
			 n/a = Not available. (1) A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. (3) Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (4) Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (5 )Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the nursery education grant data collection exercise. (6) For the years 1997 to 2001, four-year-old sub national figures from the nursery education grant data collection exercise can not be disaggregated between the maintained and private, voluntary and independent sectors. (7) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the nursery education grant data collection exercise. (8) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census supplementary data collection exercise and the School Census. (9) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. (10) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. 
		
	
	The latest figures on early education places for three and four-year-olds in England were published in Statistical First Release (SFR) 12/2008 Provision for children under five years of age in England: January 2008, available on my Department's website at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000790/index.shtml

Primary Education: Curriculum

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the interim report of the Rose Review of the primary curriculum.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government welcome Sir Jim Rose's interim report and the broad direction of travel it sets out. Ministers will give careful consideration to his final report and recommendations, which are expected in the spring.

Primary Education: Curriculum

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which schools are taking part in the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority pilot studies on the implementation of the independent review of the primary curriculum.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Following the publication of the final report in the spring, we will consider whether elements of the new primary curriculum should be piloted to inform the package of support for schools prior to the introduction of the new curriculum from September 2011. No pilots related to the independent review of the primary curriculum are currently taking place or planned prior to publication of the final report.

Primary Education: Curriculum

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will place in the Library a copy of each of the draft programmes of learning being consulted on by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority as part of the independent review of the primary curriculum.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Sir Jim Rose is scheduled to submit the final report of the independent review of the primary curriculum in the spring. The final report will include recommended draft programmes of learning, which if accepted, would be subject to statutory consultation and placed in the Libraries.

Primary Education: Curriculum

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the  (a) dates and  (b) locations are of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority regional conferences on the independent review of the primary curriculum being held between January and April 2009.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The dates and locations of the regional conferences QCA are holding on behalf of the independent primary curriculum review regional events are:
	
		
			  Date  Location 
			 20 January Congress Centre, London 
			 22 January The Royal York Hotel, York 
			 27 January The East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham 
			 3 February Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel, Bristol 
			 10 February University Arms Hotel, Cambridge 
			 12 February Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Birmingham 
			 3 March Raddison Edwardian Hotel, Manchester 
			 5 March Congress Centre, London 
			 10 March The Newcastle Marriott Hotel MetroCentre, Newcastle

Pupil Referral Units

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) maintained and  (b) non-maintained pupil referral units there were in each local authority in 2008.

Jim Knight: The available information on pupil referral units in each local authority in England in January 2008 is given in table B1 of the pupil characteristics and class sizes in maintained schools in England: January 2008 (Provisional) statistical first release, accessible via the following link in the penultimate set of additional information:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000786/index.shtml
	This information only refers to maintained pupil referral units as there is no legal basis for non-maintained pupil referral units.

Pupil Referral Units

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many pupils attended pupil referral units in each year since 1997 in each local authority area;
	(2)  how many pupils in each local authority area attended pupil referral units in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: Information for the years 1997, 1998 and 1999 has been placed in the Library.
	Information for years 2000 to 2008 is available through the following links.
	 January 2000
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/v000192/index.shtml
	(table 3)
	 January 2001
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/v000288/index.shtml
	(table 3)
	 January 2002
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/v000359/index.shtml
	(table 3)
	 January 2003
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/v000417/index.shtml
	(table 3)
	 January 2004
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/v000495/index.shtml
	(table 3)
	 January 2005
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000606/tables4.html
	(table 12)
	 January 2006
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000682/index.shtml
	(table 12)
	 January 2007
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000744/index.shtml
	(table 12)
	 January 2008
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000786/index.shtml
	(table B2).

Pupil Referral Units

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 9 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 1725-6W, on pupil referral units, how many responses to the survey were received; who collated the shortlist; and what other names were considered.

Jim Knight: The Department received over 100 suggestions for a new name for pupil referral units, in response to our consultation on the White Paper Back on Track, published in May 2008. Officials suggested a shortlist to Ministers but Ministers also considered other possible names.
	A survey was also conducted by the national organisation for pupil referral units on their website. 205 votes were cast in total, and the following names were suggested (in order of popularity):
	Alternative Centre for Excellence
	Spectrum school
	Intensive Support school
	Back on Track school
	Integration school
	Prism school
	Prospect school
	Link school
	Inclusion school
	These names were considered by Ministers, as were the following (which were not included in the survey):
	Short Stay school
	Progress school
	Affirmative school
	Development school
	Vision school
	Outlook school
	Opportunity school
	Renewal school
	Advancement school

Schools

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which of his Department's initiatives are delivered in partnership with schools; and what the cost of each was in the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Children's Plan set out our ambition to make England the best place in the world for children to grow up. In preparing the Children's Plan, we listened to children, young people, parents, professionals and schools about the things that mattered to them. Our One Year On document describes the work undertaken in schools to achieve our ambition in the 12 month period following publication of the Children's Plan.

Schools: Children in Care

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 28 January,  Official Report, columns 672-4W, on special educational needs, in which schools children in care represented more than six per cent. of pupils.

Beverley Hughes: The requested information has been placed in the Libraries.
	The Department's main source of information on children in care is the Children Looked After Survey, but this does not record which schools pupils attend. However, information on whether a pupil is in care is also collected via the School Census. The most recent census data relates to January 2008.
	This census shows that there were 34,390 pupils aged five to 19 attending primary, secondary and special schools classed as being in care as at January 2008. Data published by the Department as SFR 23/2008: Children looked after in England (including adoption and care leavers) year ending 31 March 2008, shows 47,600 children aged between five and 19 as being looked after as at 31 March 2008. However the School Census does not cover all looked after children; information is not collected for pupils in alternative provision, including pupil referral units, FE colleges, voluntary provision and those not in education or training. These differences in coverage will explain the different counts to an extent, but it is possible that the School Census undercounts the number of looked after children in primary, secondary and special schools.

Special Educational Needs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils with statemented or non-statemented special educational needs of behavioural, emotional or social difficulties were given  (a) fixed-period and  (b) permanent exclusions from (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools in each year since 1997, broken down by reason for exclusion.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information provided shows the number of fixed period exclusions (and not the number of pupils) where the pupils' special educational need is behavioural, emotional or social difficulties. Information on the type of special educational need is collected for those pupils classed as being school action plus or who have a statement of special educational needs.
	Information is only available for the school years 2005/06 and 2006/07 and is shown in the tables. For the 2005/06 school year, information on fixed period exclusions was collected via the School Census for the first time for secondary schools only.
	
		
			  Primary and secondary schools( 1, 2, 3) : number of permanent exclusions where pupils primary SEN need is emotional, behavioural and social difficulties( 4)  by reason for exclusion (estimates)( 5) . England 2005/06 and 2006/07 
			   2005/06  2006/07 
			   Primary schools( 1, 3)  Secondary schools( 2)  Primary schools( 1)  Secondary schools( 2) 
			 Physical assault against a pupil n/a 290 80 230 
			 Physical assault against an adult n/a 190 130 120 
			 Verbal abuse/threatening behaviour against a pupil n/a 90 20 60 
			 Verbal abuse/threatening behaviour against an adult n/a 300 60 200 
			 Bullying n/a 20 (6) 20 
			 Racist abuse n/a 10 (6) 10 
			 Sexual misconduct n/a 20 10 20 
			 Drug and alcohol related n/a 70 0 30 
			 Damage n/a 40 10 30 
			 Theft n/a 50 (6) 50 
			 Persistent disruptive behaviour n/a 880 160 720 
			 Other n/a 340 20 250 
			 Total(7) 470 2,300 490 1,730 
			 (1 )Includes middle schools as deemed. (2 )Includes both CTCs and academies. (3 )For the 2005/06 school year, information on the reason for exclusion was not collected from primary schools. (4 )Data for primary SEN need is collected for pupils with a statement of special educational needs or who are classified as being school action plus only. Data here has been taken from the National Pupil Database. (5 )Figures relating to permanent exclusions are estimates based on incomplete pupil-level data. (6 )Less than 5. (7 )Includes permanent exclusions where the reason cannot be determined.  Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source:  School Census. 
		
	
	
		
			  Primary and secondary schools( 1, 2, 3) : number of fixed period exclusions where pupils primary SEN need is emotional, behavioural and social difficulties( 4 ) by reason for exclusion (includes multiple exclusions per pupil). England 2005/06 and 2006/07 
			   2005/06  2006/07 
			   Primary schools( 1, 3)  Secondary schools( 2)  Primary schools( 1)  Secondary schools( 2) 
			 Physical assault against a pupil n/a 9,690 4,100 9,700 
			 Physical assault against an adult n/a 1,760 3,190 1,790 
			 Verbal abuse/threatening behaviour against a pupil n/a 2,490 920 2,320 
			 Verbal abuse/threatening behaviour against an adult n/a 16,770 2,380 16,730 
			 Bullying n/a 810 120 760 
			 Racist abuse n/a 620 100 620 
			 Sexual misconduct n/a 470 80 490 
			 Drug and alcohol related n/a 850 10 780 
			 Damage n/a 1,500 320 1,610 
			 Theft n/a 1,180 50 1,180 
			 Persistent disruptive behaviour n/a 17,190 6,010 17,640 
			 Other n/a 11,870 1,050 11,890 
			 Total(5) n/a 65,200 18,330 65,500 
			 (1 )Includes middle schools as deemed. (2 )Includes both CTCs and academies. (3 )For the 2005/06 school year, information on the reason for exclusion was not collected from primary schools. (4 )Data for primary SEN need is collected for pupils with a statement of special educational needs or who are classified as being school action plus only. Data here has been taken from the National Pupil Database. (5) Includes fixed period exclusions where the reason cannot be determined.  Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source:  School Census.

Special Educational Needs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many maintained mainstream schools had  (a) between 20 and 30 per cent.,  (b) between 30 and 40 per cent.,  (c) between 40 and 50 per cent., and (d) more than 50 per cent. of pupils with statements of special educational needs in 2008.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The requested information has been provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools number of schools by percentage of pupils with statements of special educational needs( 1) Position as at January 2008, England 
			   Maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools( 2,3) 
			 20 to 30 per cent. of pupils with statements of special educational needs 4 
			 Over 30 per cent. of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 
			 Total 4 
			 (1) Excludes dually registered pupils. (2) Includes middle schools as deemed. (3) Excludes City Technology Colleges and Academies.  Source: School Census

Special Educational Needs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1344W, on special educational needs, what the equivalent figures were for special educational needs pupils taught in special schools.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Information on the levels obtained in key stage 2 and key stage 3 tests by pupils with special education needs (SEN) in maintained special schools in 2007 are shown in the following tables. These figures are based on final KS2 and KS3 data.
	
		
			  Key Stage 2 test results by each level( 1)  in 2007( 2) , by special education needs( 3)  (maintained special schools only) 
			  Percentage of pupils achieving each level in English 
			   Eligible pupils  Absent  T  B  N  2  3  4  5 
			 SEN without a statement 92 8 (4) 47 7 (4) 22 13 (4) 
			 SEN with a statement 5,798 2 (4) 87 2 1 5 3 (4) 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage of pupils achieving each level in  mathematics 
			   Eligible pupils  Absent  T  B  N  2  3  4  5 
			 SEN without a statement 92 5 (4) 39 10 (4) 26 13 (4) 
			 SEN with a statement 5,799 2 (4) 84 3 1 6 4 (4) 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage of pupils achieving each level in  science 
			   Eligible pupils  Absent  T  B  N  2  3  4  5 
			 SEN without a statement 92 8 (4) 36 (4) (4) 30 21 (4) 
			 SEN with a statement 5,808 2 (4) 77 3 1 9 7 1 
		
	
	
		
			  Key Stage 3 test results by each level( 1)  in 2007( 2) , by special education needs( 3)  (maintained special schools only) 
			  Percentage of pupils achieving each level in English 
			   Eligible pupils  Absent  T  B  N  3  4  5  6 7 
			 SEN without a statement 68 13 (4) 54 10 (4) (4) (4) (4) (4) 
			 SEN with a statement 9,160 4 (4) 83 5 2 3 1 (4) (4) 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage of pupils achieving each level in  mathematics 
			   Eligible pupils  Absent  T  B  N  2  3  4  5 6 7 8 
			 SEN without a statement 67 18 (4) 33 (4) (4) 25 12 7 (4) (4) (4) 
			 SEN with a statement 9,155 6 (4) 57 5 2 16 9 3 1 (4) (4) 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage of pupils achieving each level in  science 
			   Eligible pupils  Absent  T  B  N  2  3  4  5 6 7 
			 SEN without a statement 68 12 7 32 (4) (4) 19 21 7 (4) (4) 
			 SEN with a statement 9,177 7 1 53 4 3 13 15 4 1 (4) 
			 (1) Includes Tunable to access test; Bnot entered for test; Nfailed to register a level; (2) Final data. (3) Status of special educational needs (SEN) taken in spring school census for all years. (4) Figures involving fewer than five pupils have been suppressed. 
		
	
	Similar information for all pupils in maintained schools with SEN for 2007 can be found in SFR38/2007, at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000759/index.shtml
	The KS2 and KS3 figures in this published SFR were based on provisional data.

Special Educational Needs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 9 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 1730-1W, on special educational needs, how many pupils in each category attended schools in each local authority area in each year.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The requested information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Special Educational Needs

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of  (a) all children with speech, language and communications difficulties,  (b) children with speech, language and communication difficulties in the five per cent. most deprived areas and  (c) children with speech, language and communication difficulties in the 10 per cent. most deprived areas achieved the national standard in (i) all of the Foundation Stage profile assessments, (ii) all Foundation Stage profile assessments on personal, social and emotional development, (iii) all Foundation Stage profile assessments on communication, language and literacy and (iv) all Foundation Stage profile assessments on mathematical development in each year for which records are available;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of children identified with speech, language and communication difficulties achieved the national standard in each of the Foundation Stage profile assessments in each year for which records are available;
	(3)  how many and what proportion of children identified with speech, language and communication difficulties from the  (a) five per cent. most deprived areas and  (b) 10 per cent. most deprived areas achieved the national standard in the Foundation Stage profile assessments in each year for which records are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information requested on the proportion of children identified with speech, language and communication difficulties achieving the national standard in individual scales by levels of deprivation can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Special Educational Needs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 9 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 1730-2W, on special educational needs, if he will provide a breakdown of the figures given by  (a) male and  (b) female pupils.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 9 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 1730-2W.

Special Educational Needs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils with special educational needs were placed in schools outside their own local authority area in each year since 1997.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Information for years prior to 2003 is not available. Information for 2003 and 2008 are shown in the following table, additional years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Number of pupils( 1)  with SEN placed in schools outside of their resident local authority 
			   Number of pupils 
			 2003 67,924 
			 2008 80,949 
			 (1) Includes solely registered pupils attending maintained nursery, primary, secondary, CTCs, academies, special and non-maintained special schools.  Source: School Census

Special Educational Needs: Braintree

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children from Braintree with statements of special educational needs were educated at a special school outside their local authority area in each year since 1997.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Information for years prior to 2003 is not available. Information for 2003 and 2008 are shown in the table below, additional years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Number of pupils( 1)  from Braintree with statements of SEN educated in special schools outside of their resident local authority 
			   Number of pupils 
			 2003 6 
			 2008 8 
			 (1) Includes solely registered pupils attending special and non-maintained special schools.  Source: School Census

Special Educational Needs: Braintree

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children with statements of special educational need there are in mainstream education in Braintree.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The requested information is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  State-funded primary and secondary schools and all special schools: Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs( 1) ,  Position in January 2008: Braintree parliamentary constituency 
			 Primary schools(2) 170 
			 Secondary schools(2) 140 
			 All special schools(3) 210 
			 (1) Excluding dually registered pupils. (2) Includes middle schools as deemed. (3) Including general hospital schools. Pupil numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: School Census

Special Educational Needs: Children in Care

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children in care had statements of special educational needs in each year since 1997.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The OC2 data collection collects information on a range of outcomes and indicators for children looked after for at least 12 months from local authorities. This information has been published in the Statistical First Release Outcome Indicators for Children Looked After, Twelve months to 30 September 2007England (SFR 08/2008), which is available on the Department's website via the following link:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000785/index.shtml
	This publication contains figures for the period 2005-07.
	Information on the number of looked after children who had a statement of special educational needs during the year can be found in table A, which also includes figures for all children as a comparison.
	This information was first collected in 2000, figures for earlier years are also published on the Department's website and can be found via the following links:
	Figures for 2002-04 are available in volume reference (03/2005) here:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/v000580/index.shtml
	Figures for 2000-01 are available in volume reference (DHA/OL(OUT)01) here:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/v000523/index.shtml

Special Educational Needs: GCSE

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what percentage of eligible pupils with  (a) statemented and  (b) non-statemented special educational needs achieved at least one A* to G grade at GCSE in each year since 1997, broken down by type of school.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The requested information is only available from 2003 onwards. Changes to data collections and definitions over time mean that for 2003 and 2004 the figures cover pupils aged 15. For 2005 onwards, the figures cover pupils at the end of their key stage 4 studies. As the figures require details of pupil characteristics (i.e. SEN), they are only available for maintained schools.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number and percentage of pupils with statements of SEN achieving one or more grades A*-G by type of school( 1) 
			  Number and percentage 
			   2008  2007  2006 
			   No. of pupils with statements of SEN achieving 1+ A*-G  % of pupils with statement s  of SEN achieving 1+ A*-G  No. of pupils with statements of SEN achieving 1+ A*-G  % of pupils with statement s  of SEN achieving 1+ A*-G  No. of pupils with statements of SEN achieving 1+ A*-G  % of pupils with statement s  of SEN achieving 1+ A*-G 
			 Academies 247 79.9 133 77.3 77 75.5 
			 Community School 7,160 88.3 7,861 86.3 8,193 85.6 
			 Voluntary Aided 1,523 91.4 1,486 91.8 1,488 90.1 
			 Voluntary controlled 388 88.2 396 88.8 456 87.0 
			 Foundation Schools 2,385 90.2 1,966 90.7 2,000 89.6 
			 City Technology College 12 100.0 20 100.0 13 100.0 
			 Community Special School 2,827 30.2 2,885 30.6 2,900 30.8 
			 Foundation Special schools 157 43.6 134 48.9 95 47.0 
			
			 Total 14,699 64.2 14,881 64.0 15,222 64.2 
		
	
	
		
			  Number and percentage 
			   2005  2004  2003 
			   No. of pupils with statements of SEN achieving 1+ A*-G  % of pupils with statement s  of SEN achieving 1+ A*-G  No. of pupils with statements of SEN achieving 1+ A*-G  % of pupils with statement s  of SEN achieving 1+ A*-G  No. of pupils with statements of SEN achieving 1+ A*-G  % of pupils with statemen ts  of SEN achieving 1+ A*-G 
			 Academies 69 82.1 45 80.4 7 82.6 
			 Community School 8,454 85.3 8,599 82.2 8,549 82.6 
			 Voluntary Aided 1,465 89.7 1,408 86.6 1,317 86.6 
			 Voluntary controlled 437 86.5 416 81.9 394 80.4 
			 Foundation Schools 1,817 89.0 1,816 85.8 1,761 84.5 
			 City Technology College 24 100.0 27 87.1 27 93.1 
			 Community Special School 2,450 28.4 2,562 27.4 2,455 26.1 
			 Foundation Special schools 63 34.8 79 36.2 81 35.2 
			
			 Total 14,779 64.2 14,952 61.4 14,591 60.5 
			 (1) The figures in this table relate to pupils in maintained schools only 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number and percentage of SEN pupils without statements achieving one or more grades A*-G by type of school( 1) 
			  Number and percentage 
			   2008  2007  2006 
			   No. of pupils with out  statements of SEN achieving 1+ A*-G  % of pupils with out  statement s  of SEN achieving 1+ A*-G  No. of pupils with out  statements of SEN achieving 1+ A*-G  % of pupils with out  statement s  of SEN achieving 1+ A*-G  No. of pupils with out  statements of SEN achieving 1+ A*-G  % of pupils with out  statement s  of SEN achieving 1+ A*-G 
			 Academies 3,035 91.9 1,476 89.2 884 89.6 
			 Community School 62,184 93.2 56,398 91.0 52,820 89.9 
			 Voluntary Aided 11,831 95.2 10,349 93.2 9,176 92.5 
			 Voluntary controlled 2,483 94.2 2,247 92.3 2,101 91.5 
			 Foundation Schools 19,363 94.9 14,498 93.7 11,313 92.8 
			 City Technology College 98 99.0 177 99.4 205 98.1 
			 Community Special School 34 45.3 21 34.4 18 28.6 
			 Foundation Special schools 0  0  0 0.0 
			
			 Total 99,028 93.7 85,166 91.7 76,517 90.7 
		
	
	
		
			   2005  2004  2003 
			   No. of pupils with out  statements of SEN achieving 1+ A*-G  % of pupils with out  statement s  of SEN achieving 1+ A*-G  No. of pupils with out  statements of SEN achieving 1+ A*-G  % of pupils with out  statement s  of SEN achieving 1+ A*-G  No. of pupils with out  statements of SEN achieving 1+ A*-G  % of pupils with out  statement s  of SEN achieving 1+ A*-G 
			 Academies 538 90.0 430 84.5 120 83.3 
			 Community School 47,445 88.8 43,608 86.9 41,450 86.7 
			 Voluntary Aided 8,540 91.7 8,084 90.2 7,350 89.7 
			 Voluntary controlled 1,932 89.7 1,841 86.9 1,687 87.6 
			 Foundation Schools 9,931 92.1 9,875 90.9 8,723 90.2 
			 City Technology College 272 99.6 203 99.0 216 97.3 
			 Community Special School 85 207.3 87 310.7 43 50.0 
			 Foundation Special schools 0  0  0  
			
			 Total 68,743 89.8 64,128 88.0 59,589 87.6 
			 (1) The figures in this table relate to pupils in maintained schools only.  Notes: 1. SEN identified in January of the year the pupils sit the exams. 2. Figures based on GCSE results only.  Source: National Pupil Database

Special Educational Needs: GCSE

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what percentage of eligible pupils with  (a) statemented and  (b) non-statemented special educational needs achieved five A* to C grades including English and mathematics at GCSE in each year since 1997, broken down by type of school.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The requested information is only available from 2004 onwards. Changes to data collections and definitions over time mean that for 2004 the figures cover pupils aged 15. For 2005 onwards, the figures cover pupils at the end of their key stage 4 studies. As the figures require details of pupil characteristics (i.e. SEN), they are only available for maintained schools.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number and percentage of pupils with statements of SEN achieving 5 or more grades A*-C including English and maths by type of school( 1) 
			   End KS4 pupils with statements of SEN achieving 5+ A*-C inc. English and maths  Aged 15 pupils with statements of SEN achieving 5+A*-C inc. English and maths 
			   2008  2007  2006  2005  2004 
			   No.  %  No.  %  No.  %  No.  %  No.  % 
			 Academies 26 8.4 7 4.1 (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) 
			 Community school 608 7.5 582 6.4 599 6.3 504 5.1 434 4.1 
			 Voluntary aided 223 13.4 180 11.1 180 10.9 141 8.6 107 6.6 
			 Voluntary controlled 40 9.1 39 8.7 40 7.6 43 8.5 21 4.1 
			 Foundation schools 288 10.9 209 9.6 192 8.6 156 7.6 130 6.1 
			 City technology college (2) (2) 7 35.0 (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) 
			 Community special school 29 0.3 21 0.2 17 0.2 16 0.2 15 0.2 
			 Foundation special schools (2) (2) 0 0.0 (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) 
			 Total 1,222 5.3 1,045 4.5 1,032 4.4 864 3.8 710 2.9 
			 (1 )The figures in this table relate to pupils in maintained schools only. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number and percentage of SEN pupils without statements achieving 5 or more grades A*-C by type of school( 1) 
			   End KS4  SEN  pupils with out  statements of SEN achieving 5+ A*-C inc. English and maths  End aged 15 SEN pupils without statements of SEN achieving 5+A*-C inc. English and maths 
			   2008  2007  2006  2005  2004 
			   No.  %  No.  %  No.  %  No.  %  No.  % 
			 Academies 404 12.2 122 7.4 110 11.1 32 5.4 18 3.5 
			 Community school 8,794 13.2 6,175 10.0 4,828 8.2 4,338 8.1 3,054 6.1 
			 Voluntary aided 2,472 19.9 1,819 16.4 1,443 14.5 1,191 12.8 1,071 12.0 
			 Voluntary controlled 416 15.8 343 14.1 331 14.4 289 13.4 226 10.7 
			 Foundation schools 3,642 17.8 2,387 15.4 1,595 13.1 1,403 13.0 1,032 9.5 
			 City technology college 47 47.5 84 47.2 61 29.2 109 39.9 54 26.3 
			 Community special school 0 0.0 0 0.0 (2) (2) 14 34.1 (2) (2) 
			 Foundation special schools 0  0  (2) (2) 0  (2) (2) 
			 Total 15,775 14.9 10,930 11.8 8370 9.9 7,344 9.7 5442 7.5 
			 (1 )The figures in this table relate to pupils in maintained schools only. (2) Figures suppressed due to small numbers.  Notes: 1. Data relates to GCSE and equivalents. 2. SEN identified in January of the year they sit the exams.  Source:  National Pupil Database.

Special Educational Needs: Poverty

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and in what proportion of pupils with statements of special educational needs  (a) lived and  (b) attended school in the most deprived decile of lower layer super output areas in 2008, as determined by the income deprivation affecting children index.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information requested is shown as follows.
	 (a) 33,660 pupils(1,)( )(2 )with statements of special educational needs lived in the most deprived decile of lower layer super output areas as determined by IDACI(3) in 2008. This represents 16 per cent. of all statemented pupils of known residence in England.
	 (b) 21,660 pupils(1,)( )(2 )with statements of special educational needs attended school in the most deprived decile of lower layer super output areas as determined by IDACI(3 )in 2008. This represents 10 per cent. of all statemented pupils attending schools in England.
	(1) Excludes dually registered pupils.
	(2) Includes pupils attending nursery, primary, secondary and special schools, CTCs and academies.
	(3) Income Deprivation Affecting Children Indices.
	 Source:
	Spring 2008 School Census

Special Educational Needs: Pupil Exclusions

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 11 February 2009,  Official Report, column 2117W on special educational needs: pupil exclusions, if he will provide a breakdown of the figures by  (a) type of special educational need and  (b) local authority area.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The requested information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Supply Teachers

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what advice his Department provides to schools on the recruitment of supply teachers; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what discussions his Department has had with the Office of Government Commerce on the provision of supply teachers since September 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department has provided guidance to schools on the recruitment of supply teachers in the document Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education. The guidance sets out the responsibilities of those recruiting supply teachers and the best practices, some underpinned by legislation, to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
	The framework for the Department's Quality Mark award for employment agencies and local authorities also sets out recruitment, selection and vetting standards for supply teachers. Schools are encouraged to use holders of the Quality Mark who have demonstrated they meet these standards in managing and providing supply teachers to schools.
	Temporary Workers in Education (TWiE) is a project of the Department's Educational Procurement Centre (EPC). The EPC has a remit to work across the schools sector promoting and supporting sustainable procurement practices and effective contract management with the goal of achieving cost and administrative savings for schools.
	The TWiE project aims to provide London schools with a reliable, safe and accessible online method of procuring temporary education workers. It is currently working collaboratively with the London Borough of Hounslow which is in a tender process on behalf of the London Contracts and Supplies Group. Companies have been invited to tender to act as a neutral vendor which will provide an online system through which London Boroughs and London schools can procure temporary workers including supply teachers. It is expected that a contract will be awarded in June 2009.
	OGC staff sit on the Project Board which oversees the TWiE project, and have done so since September 2008. OGC and DCSF have also had discussions in relation to the project, including regular monthly meetings between senior responsible staff. There have also been a number of discussions agreeing the role of OGC staff on the Project Board, and a meeting to review models for the project. Some of these discussions also touched on the provision of supply teachers and other staff outside London.
	In addition to OGC's role on the TWiE Project Board, another member of OGC staff has been advising the London Contracts and Supplies Group on the current tender process and as part of this work has had some contact with Department staff, particularly on the issue of pricing models.

Sure Start Programme

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much the Government have spent on Sure Start programmes in each local authority area since 1997; and how much has been spent on Sure Start programmes in each of the  (a) 20 per cent. most deprived,  (b) 10 per cent. most deprived and  (c) 5 per cent. most deprived local authority areas.

Beverley Hughes: The first Sure Start Local programmes were set up in 1999-2000. By 2003-04 there were 524 Sure Start Local programmes across the country. Data for revenue spend for years prior to 2003-04 are not readily available at local authority level.
	The total SSLP revenue spend for all authorities for the period from 1999-2000 to 2002-03 was 315,083,000.
	The delivery of first phase Children's Centres began in 2003-04.
	The Combined SSLP and Children's Centres revenue spend for all authorities from 2003-04 to 2007-08 and the total capital from 1999 to 2007-08 is shown in table A.
	
		
			  Table A( 1) :  SSLP and Children's Centre revenue spend 2003-04 to 2007-08 and  t otal  c apital spend from 1999 to 2007-08 
			   Revenue  s pend  
			  Top  t ier LA  20 03-04  20 04-05  20 05-06  20 06-0 7  20 07-08  Total  capital s pend from 1999 
			 Barking and Dagenham 1,757,442 2,481,523 3,833,935 2,718,767 2,291,389 10,297,586 
			 Barnet 298,392 519,706 957,768 1,233,400 3,031,896 2,236,056 
			 Barnsley 2,700,556 3,177,468 4,356,089 5,044,862 4,652,058 8,687,272 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 445,032 754,046 940,669 1,271,219 1,410,844 2,307,682 
			 Bedfordshire 620,441 683,731 912,971 2,470,457 2,275,686 4,302,601 
			 Bexley 748,410 785,491 953,745 1,459,868 1,688,734 2,240,057 
			 Birmingham 6,544,638 8,323,079 15,505,854 20,202,569 18,772,623 33,215,232 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 2,967,803 3,763,784 4,569,753 6,283,069 6,239,994 10,280,435 
			 Blackpool 1,356,852 1,718,584 2,363,199 3,058,124 2,877,500 6,681,646 
			 Bolton 2,839,491 3,138,634 4,093,762 3,054,320 2,497,902 10,265,788 
			 Bournemouth 774,796 905,763 1,079,548 1,890,413 1,710,922 2,259,610 
			 Bracknell Forest 0 0 39,669 438,170 505,255 1,168,175 
			 Bradford 5,060,706 5,910,820 8,418,624 9,187,781 10,051,073 12,392,210 
			 Brent 1,924,893 2,287,232 3,136,548 2,062,707 1,645,904 5,984,229 
			 Brighton and Hove 1,212,885 1,320,764 1,674,653 2,358,460 2,655,268 5,645,759 
			 Bristol 3,155,363 3,408,972 4,626,657 5,724,261 5,716,095 8,129,829 
			 Bromley 624,180 723,210 968,219 1,593,486 2,053,334 3,584,763 
			 Buckinghamshire 225,456 447,714 887,958 982,113 2,196,913 3,211,588 
			 Bury 675,403 713,639 1,039,471 1,536,289 1,632,356 2,977,701 
			 Calderdale 1,802,270 2,081,903 2,390,712 3,445,773 3,202,667 4,771,018 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,192,513 1,496,604 1,965,453 2,836,776 3,144,533 2,888,429 
			 Camden 3,328,856 4,011,531 4,429,642 5,003,841 3,977,572 9,768,639 
			 Cheshire 2,115,839 2,551,256 3,610,018 4,931,493 4,840,200 3,733,406 
			 City of London 0 0 0 90,000 90,000 128,176 
			 Cornwall 4,363,840 5,016,203 5,854,055 4,923,359 3,986,907 13,212,019 
			 Coventry 2,283,143 2,682,312 3,004,458 2,950,379 2,409,543 9,074,348 
			 Croydon 754,996 812,875 954,053 2,594,818 2,909,499 4,911,764 
			 Cumbria 3,366,350 3,771,381 4,372,187 5,233,129 4,488,335 8,516,155 
			 Darlington 1,135,960 1,313,523 1,701,263 1,589,514 1,475,563 3,260,982 
			 Derby 2,274,015 2,611,331 2,621,706 2,451,570 2,116,247 9,036,898 
			 Derbyshire 3,028,718 3,584,229 3,504,523 3,501,464 2,875,761 11,089,004 
			 Devon 2,301,557 2,876,215 3,263,950 4,863,394 6,342,455 10,401,877 
			 Doncaster 3,108,451 3,735,822 5,023,025 6,680,423 6,192,264 11,309,946 
			 Dorset 746,023 816,558 1,112,395 1,970,848 2, 229,111 3,016,982 
			 Dudley 1,660,974 2,038,755 3,330,927 3,241,348 3,454,002 6,921,228 
			 Durham 6,388,105 8,238,417 10,356,184 11,262,163 9,898,272 20,381,790 
			 Ealing 1,416,766 1,451,063 2,011,491 4,075,610 3,312,647 6,016,723 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 699,330 724,511 1,203,060 1,971,244 2,182,268 2,872,875 
			 East Sussex 2,816,824 3,893,477 4,748,740 3,850,916 3,316,030 13,629,602 
			 Enfield 1,315,744 1,383,859 2,181,936 3,044,367 2,940,685 4,736,110 
			 Essex 2,279,687 2,446,694 3,829,794 3,695,985 6,744,764 13,444,212 
			 Gateshead 2,367,756 2,561,163 2,993,764 3,703,748 3,339,523 6,454,847 
			 Gloucestershire 1,157,971 1,422,103 2,334,527 3,490,142 4,252,368 6,944,959 
			 Greenwich 3,065,929 3,644,687 3,687,766 3,478,031 2,928,769 10,525,461 
			 Hackney 4,283,126 5,286,196 6,536,805 8,349,483 6,840,784 11,777,063 
			 Halton 2,482,187 3,332,537 3,953,978 3,706,949 3,128,584 4,798,098 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 1,749,699 2,086,587 2,130,907 2,153,039 1,734,015 3,429,210 
			 Hampshire 1,232,097 1,577,381 1,829,281 3,961,009 6,945,331 6,011,092 
			 Haringey 3,339,420 4,142,120 4,594,072 5,962,668 4,811,575 12,704,519 
			 Harrow 0 0 0 759,153 873,408 1,129,862 
			 Hartlepool 2,032,263 2,202,889 2,618,302 2,927,450 2,570,523 4,921,876 
			 Havering 744,128 827,059 877,892 1,513,779 1,882,483 2,910,289 
			 Herefordshire 714,217 718,767 955,608 1,350,751 1,282,198 2,498,461 
			 Hertfordshire 0 5,486 321,853 3,090,625 3,955,463 7,243,926 
			 Hillingdon 686,196 759,801 869,441 1,343,487 1,860,292 1,615,636 
			 Hounslow 744,600 800,335 1,062,747 2,574,292 2,086,533 3,798,597 
			 Isle of Wight 685,602 635,263 1,087,148 1,075,833 1,293,268 2,431,724 
			 Isles of Scilly 0 0 65,824 137,141 127,273 0 
			 Islington 3,470,106 4,494,944 5,638,189 6,573,038 5,594,339 10,324,567 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 1,088,069 1,307,984 1,589,082 1,891,508 1,812,465 3,683,422 
			 Kent 5,322,156 6,516,291 7,458,498 6,490,832 10,542,106 17,954,344 
			 Kingston upon Hull 4,387,044 5,167,439 6,570,364 6,619,223 6,032,778 10,712,182 
			 Kingston upon Thames 0 0 0 595,120 808,095 744,761 
			 Kirklees 2,444,400 3,080,760 5,015,063 3,411,988 2,948,402 11,930,440 
			 Knowsley 2,843,784 3,393,331 4,202,432 3,356,195 2,772,182 8,044,183 
			 Lambeth 3,705,498 4,484,511 6,323,222 6,605,583 8,032,617 13,264,068 
			 Lancashire 9,383,926 11,615,052 15,160,442 17,400,049 17,833,522 31,994,581 
			 Leeds 4,641,320 5,300,404 7,879,956 9,166,923 9,356,074 17,391,062 
			 Leicester City 3,462,817 5,213,243 6,547,270 7,631,859 7,780,950 14,041,010 
			 Leicestershire 391,691 663,738 895,114 785,600 662,048 6,258,691 
			 Lewisham 3,175,857 3,853,158 4,606,830 3,857,762 3,163,592 8,635,750 
			 Lincolnshire 3,945,225 4,772,638 5,393,463 6,665,603 6,127,592 14,765,088 
			 Liverpool 6,071,361 7,472,516 10,297,380 11,132,779 11,430,736 21,395,808 
			 Luton 489,701 699,416 1,247,703 2,074,274 2,337,785 4,273,295 
			 Manchester 6,119,192 7,447,219 9,470,770 8,391,237 9,824,296 14,150,034 
			 Medway 744,429 863,254 1,419,995 2,258,227 2,518,735 5,533,156 
			 Merton 415,445 728,330 741,160 1,581,941 1,595,624 1,658,693 
			 Middlesbrough 2,929,556 3,553,786 3,950,493 4,568,275 3,636,661 8,395,883 
			 Milton Keynes 655,984 743,884 1,073,538 1,592,490 1,636,564 2,951,121 
			 NE Lincolnshire 2,768,016 3,329,898 3,698,098 4,167,023 3,698,325 12,105,435 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 3,842,772 4,873,032 5,432,213 6,253,177 5,823,446 8,374,725 
			 Newham 4,899,609 5,767,383 6,943,172 7,920,973 7,180,196 16,287,137 
			 Norfolk 3,948,978 5,154,535 6,412,916 7,715,646 7,085,456 10,119,733 
			 North Lincolnshire 1,269,500 1,455,894 1,807,366 2,367,860 2,105,769 3,367,920 
			 North Somerset 665,677 726,095 952,336 1,412,763 1,507,909 1,607,260 
			 North Tyneside 1,994,654 2,241,313 2,718,340 3,294,865 3,350,742 7,989,737 
			 North Yorkshire 1,121,964 1,336,423 1,831,229 2,553,867 3,138,061 6,472,542 
			 Northamptonshire 2,767,930 3,368,055 3,827,318 6,309,748 5,008,873 10,912,198 
			 Northumberland 3,121,510 3,723,771 4,096,900 4,807,778 4,204,441 9,514,498 
			 Nottingham City 4,344,223 5,130,045 6,146,486 5,059,066 4,304,828 13,165,254 
			 Nottinghamshire 4,711,171 6,084,644 7,244,126 6,453,623 5,341,639 20,659,791 
			 Oldham 2,294,086 2,611,972 3,446,663 4,535,561 4,908,702 9,903,790 
			 Oxfordshire 1,028,500 1,229,618 1,308,120 3,147,236 2,927,093 4,643,990 
			 Peterborough 1,809,681 1,954,144 2,540,687 3,169,241 2,681,767 5,242,970 
			 Plymouth 2,471,313 2,874,443 3,431,902 4,073,481 3,761,690 7,216,170 
			 Poole 0 0 0 191,250 594,136 1,135,633 
			 Portsmouth 1,264,620 1,500,303 1,895,654 2,533,978 2,368,029 3,191,961 
			 Reading 755,000 815,079 977,535 1,603,954 1,481,557 1,937,445 
			 Redbridge 610,385 721,191 1,220,569 2,247,206 1,940,299 3,558,714 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 2,441,213 2,920,321 3,290,511 3,129,396 2,819,544 7,207,119 
			 Richmond upon Thames 0 0 0 791,372 1,117,583 1,239,171 
			 Rochdale 2,663,066 3,240,476 4,011,941 5,027,881 4,577,870 9,187,350 
			 Rotherham 1,960,459 2,107,249 2,918,716 1,988,066 3,839,756 8,262,256 
			 Rutland 0 0 0 0 0 458,138 
			 Salford 2,750,856 3,273,911 4,218,914 5,097,145 5,092,005 10,541,747 
			 Sandwell 3,822,033 4,715,135 6,935,004 8,041,907 7,251,232 15,216,188 
			 Sefton 2,555,021 2,860,347 3,295,388 4,040,696 4,025,191 7,189,852 
			 Sheffield 4,820,711 5,748,300 5,968,152 5,704,835 4,669,791 11,184,389 
			 Shropshire 1,208,412 1,474,427 1,744,448 1,548,982 1,305,372 4,268,130 
			 Slough 708,429 692,536 934,260 1,620,115 1,494,917 1,808,281 
			 Solihull 720,876 755,639 1,164,878 1,815,511 1,696,367 2,872,233 
			 Somerset 1,995,781 2,246,739 2,909,294 3,700,037 3,743,297 8,252,662 
			 South Gloucestershire 0 0 0 946,333 1,273,818 1,619,195 
			 South Tyneside 2,392,924 2,896,369 3,437,141 4,380,581 3,989,044 7,763,833 
			 Southampton 1,593,902 1,800,840 2,233,999 2,953,344 2,797,688 5,698,593 
			 Southend 650,000 652,613 945,455 1,290,990 1,539,157 2,631,127 
			 Southwark 4,841,458 5,773,606 7,105,078 8,664,773 7,329,649 14,111,579 
			 St Helens 2,683,347 3,451,901 4,248,141 3,461,307 2,911,305 9,611,379 
			 Staffordshire 3,420,406 3,459,755 4,213,454 5,990,872 6,975,081 10,449,472 
			 Stockport 597,228 3,750,019 968,135 2,137,466 1,896,553 3,982,148 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 2,959,248 644,598 4,168,682 3,836,548 3,155,902 7,816,193 
			 Stoke on Trent 4,396,329 4,794,613 5,587,731 4,398,091 3,449,846 11,479,260 
			 Suffolk 1,778,409 2,158,319 2,587,539 4,360,907 5,196,760 9,273,315 
			 Sunderland 4,134,708 4,943,826 6,219,195 6,543,067 5,469,474 12,809,583 
			 Surrey 0 0 80,340 1,545,357 2,919,055 3,983,599 
			 Sutton 495,817 700,208 1,018,432 1,372,516 1,889,667 2,560,400 
			 Swindon 754,769 847,681 1,153,713 1,595,119 1,879,232 3,841,288 
			 Tameside 2,161,541 2,716,862 3,588,200 4,127,811 4,354,183 7,614,993 
			 Telford and the Wrekin 1,185,342 1,445,490 1,512,447 1,348,654 1,169,537 3,886,054 
			 Thurrock 875,450 889,512 1,272,558 1,673,054 1,970,939 3,258,875 
			 Torbay 1,177,153 1,565,512 1,897,685 2,052,410 1,909,418 5,003,186 
			 Tower Hamlets 4,377,958 5,291,872 5,743,059 7,297,693 7,361,975 11,831,221 
			 Trafford 469,833 503,743 793,653 1,871,656 1,954,114 3,506,102 
			 Wakefield 2,443,231 2,991,768 4,078,569 5,064,116 5,506,944 10,935,594 
			 Walsall 2,869,573 3,509,691 4,536,032 5,929,141 5,435,428 10,827,910 
			 Waltham Forest 2,045,046 2,960,185 4,047,816 2,807,347 2,428,644 8,201,136 
			 Wandsworth 1,319,785 1,589,032 1,847,460 3,007,408 2,610,230 6,355,958 
			 Warrington 1,036,767 1,266,326 1,700,177 2,449,004 2,651,225 4,624,908 
			 Warwickshire 1,405,163 1,210,086 1,540,640 3,326,379 4,143,741 8,537,956 
			 West Berkshire 0 0 0 472,812 538,032 934,158 
			 West Sussex 1,023,194 1,504,270 2,128,382 1,471,576 1,240,140 4,418,336 
			 Westminster 1,817,255 2,215,173 2,672,509 3,241,846 3,034,775 4,839,071 
			 Wigan 1,093,405 1,162,269 2,578,218 4,076,436 4,198,570 5,076,437 
			 Wiltshire 0 0 86,000 1,672,898 2,135,486 3,924,606 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 0 0 0 430,294 642,032 1,042,310 
			 Wirral 2,396,851 2,966,387 4,188,872 4,976,227 5,307,493 10,092,574 
			 Wokingham 0 0 11,994 450,870 790,201 484,220 
			 Wolverhampton 2,997,011 3,974,474 4,906,402 5,693,847 5,311,341 9,271,159 
			 Worcestershire 1,879,426 2,081,621 2,416,921 3,810,001 4,061,717 8,632,504 
			 York 467,000 601,860 699,927 992,562 1,184,614 2,094,078 
			 Total 308,361,426 371,230,349 472,767,237 563,052,390 560,053,519 1,114,406,891 
			 (1) Not all audits have been received from the Sure Start Local Programmes. For those programmes with outstanding audits an average spend rate has been applied to their allocation to produce a likely spend. Similarly five of the most deprived authorities were in Local Area Agreements in 2006/07 and 2007/08 and were not required to submit statements of spend to the Department. An average spend has been applied for these authorities. 
		
	
	In depth data to allow the spend in each of the areas of deprivation to be determined are available from 2003-04. The revenue spend in the 20 per cent., 10 per cent. and 5 per cent. most deprived local authorities areas, as identified by the Index of Multiple Deprivation 1997 (the latest year for which data are available), is given in table B.
	
		
			  Table B - SSLP and Children's Centres revenue spend 2003-04 to 2007-08 by deprivation level of area 
			  Deprivation level  20 03/04  20 04/05  20 05/06  20 06/07  20 07/08 
			 0 - 5% (8 Local authorities) 34,994,692 42,707,247 52,782,300 57,589,673 54,641,169 
			 5 - 10% (7 Local authorities) 27,601,975 33,122,806 47,327,552 52,476,125 47,780,812 
			 10 - 20% (15 Local authorities) 48,398,126 60,941,713 76,269,567 83,492,249 78,775,898 
			 Total 110,994,793 136,771,766 176,379,420 193,558,047 181,197,879 
		
	
	The Sure Start local programmes received a single capital allocation. The capital spend from 1999-00 to 2007-08 is shown in table C.
	
		
			  Table C. SSLP and Children's Centres Capital spend from 1999 to 2007-08 by deprivation level of area 
			  Deprivation level  Capital 
			 0-5% (8 Local Authorities) 102,223,852 
			 5 - 10% (7 Local Authorities) 23,043,139 
			 10 - 20% (15 Local Authorities) 43,994,611 
			 Total 91,799,625

Truancy

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 6 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 518-20W, on truancy, how many  (a) fathers and  (b) mothers were (i) fined and (ii) imprisoned for their children's non-attendance at school in 2007.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Ministry of Justice collects data for England and Wales on prosecutions brought against parents under the Education Act 1996 for the offence under s444(1) for failing to secure their child's regular attendance at school; and for prosecutions under s444(1A), the aggravated offence of knowing that their child is failing to attend school regularly. It is possible, because of the way courts record data that some data are collected under the more general heading of various offences under the Education Act 1996.
	The information on the number of people by gender sentenced and given fines or immediate custodial sentences is detailed in the table.
	The Department also separately collects for England data on penalty notices issued to parents for failing to ensure that their child attends school regularly and for the school academic year 2006/07 this was 14,625. The Department does not collect data by gender type.
	
		
			  Adult male and f emale  sentenced for child truanting offences'( 1) , 2007 
			   Fined  Immediate custody 
			  Parent failing to secure their child's regular attendance at school'( 2)   
			 Male 831 1 
			 Female 2,281 5 
			
			  Parent knowing that their child is failing to attend school regularly without reasonable justification to cause him or her to attend school   
			 Male 187 3 
			 Female 489 8 
			 (1) These data are extracted on the principal offence basis.  Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.  Source: OMS Analytical Services, Ministry of Justice